A leader of the opposition Islamic party was charged in court today with criminal defamation for allegedly accusing Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad of watching a pornographic video with his grandchildren.

Bunyamin Yaacob, the Kelantan state information chief for the Parti Islam SeMalaysia (PAS), allegedly made the comment during a political rally on March

The 52-year-old former member of parliament faces up to two years in jail and a fine if convicted.

The prosecution said it had not yet decided whether to call Mahathir, who has led the country for 21 years, as a witness, the official Bernama news agency reported.

The hearing came to an abrupt end after just two witnesses had given their evidence when Buniyamin became ill, the agency said.

The case will resume on Dec 28. - AFP