The High Court in Kuala Lumpur has fixed Nov 22 to hear news portal Malaysiakini's application to strike out the defamation suit filed by Umno president and Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak and Umno organising secretary Abdul Rauf Yusoh.

The date was fixed in chambers today by Justice Kamaludin Md Said, following case management on the suit, filed in 2014 by Najib and Abdul Rauf, over comments by readers on the Terengganu imbroglio.

This was related by lawyer Nor Hazira Abu Haiyan, who appeared for Najib and Abdul Rauf.

Najib and Abdul Rauf filed the suit and named the publisher of Malaysiakini, Mkini Dotcom Sdn Bhd, editor-in-chief Steven Gan and then chief editor Fathi Aris Omar, over two articles on comments by readers on the Terengganu imbroglio.

They claimed the compilation of the comments by the readers in two Yoursay articles published on May 14, 2014, titled "A case of the PM reaping what he sows" and "How much will Najib spend to keep Terengganu?" were defamatory.

The news portal's striking-out application is based on Najib's locus (legal standing) as a public officer and politician to initiate the suit.

The portal's striking-out application may well hinge on the decision by the Federal Court in the case of Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng vs Persatuan Pribumi Perkasa Malaysia, New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd and Utusan Malaysia.

This follows the Court of Appeal decision in dismissing Lim's suit on the grounds that he filed the suit as a public officer.

The suit also sees several of Malaysiakini's attempts to recuse Justice Kamaludin from hearing the suit. But all attempts have been unsuccessful.

It was last reported two years ago that Najib's lawyer Mohd Hafarizam Harun said parties have been asked to explore the possibility of a settlement on the 2014 suit.