KUALA LUMPUR – The defamation suit filed by Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad against Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi over the latter’s ancestry remark is expected to begin today.
As per the court’s schedule, the trial is set to commence at 10am before Judicial Commissioner Gan Techiong at the high court here.
Initially slated to start in November last year, the trial was rescheduled to February 13-16 this year due to the transfer of the previous presiding judge, Datuk Rozana Ali Yusoff, to Penang.
The two-time former prime minister initiated the suit against the current deputy prime minister on July 20, 2022, in response to Zahid’s comment, referring to him as ‘Mahathir son of Iskandar Kutty’ during a keynote speech at a Kelana Jaya Umno division meeting on July 30, 2017.
The suit, filed through Messrs Haidir & Co at the high court, names Zahid as the sole defendant. Dr Mahathir alleges that Zahid’s statement was false, slanderous, and malicious, intended to distort his status as a statesman and influential political figure.
He further claims that the remarks aimed to tarnish his good reputation, portraying him as a liar, untrustworthy, and unethical person while holding public office.
Dr Mahathir seeks general, exemplary, and excessive damages, along with an injunction order preventing Zahid or his officers from repeating the defamatory statement.
Additionally, Dr Mahathir requests the court to compel Zahid to issue an unconditional oral and written apology, cover costs, and grant other appropriate relief.
On August 17 of the same year, Zahid filed his statement of defence through Messrs Shahrul Hamidi & Haziq, denying any malicious intent to harm Dr Mahathir’s reputation.
Zahid claimed he was referring to an individual based on information from an old copy of an identity card.
In a response on September 8 of the same year, Dr Mahathir said that his ancestry does not define his Malay identity and alleged that Zahid raised the issue only after Dr Mahathir had left Umno, indicating malicious motives.
On July 30, 2017, Zahid read out Dr Mahathir’s alleged IC number and his full name as ‘Mahathir anak lelaki (son of) Iskandar Kutty’ at the Kelana Jaya Umno division meeting when delivering a keynote address.
Zahid claimed that he obtained the information from the National Registration Department chief, and accused Dr Mahathir of “using” the Malays and Umno while pretending to champion the Malay agenda. – February 13, 2024