The High Court today set Oct 19 to hear the RM100 million defamation suit brought by Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim against Foreign Minister Anifah Aman.

Deputy Registrar K Pavani set the date in chambers in the presence of lawyers SN Nair, representing Anwar, and Muhammad Shafee Abdullah, representing Anifah in his personal capacity.

Anwar is suing Anifah in his personal capacity as the Kimanis Member of Parliament and in his official capacity as the foreign minister. Anifah has been named as the first and second defendants and the Malaysian government as the third defendant.

On May 27 last year, Anwar filed the suit following a May 16 joint news conference by Anifah and US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in Washington in which Anifah had allegedly said that Anwar had offered him the post of deputy prime minister if he (Anwar) were to set up a government on Sep 16, 2008.

Anwar also claimed that Anifah had defamed him by saying that he was attempting to buy over MPs and was tarnishing the country's image.

- Bernama