Deputy Rural Development Minister Sivarasa Rasiah and former federal territories minister Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor are looking to settle a defamation suit filed by the PKR lawmaker before a trial date fixed next month.

This was disclosed by Sivarasa’s lawyer Latheefa Koya to reporters after a case management today before Judicial Commissioner Wan Ahmad Farid Wan Salleh.

"Hopefully we will settle by next date on Nov 11 as both parties themselves want (to settle)," she said.

Tengku Adnan was represented by lawyer SS Ruban.

It was reported that Sivarasa filed the suit on June 13 last year, following Tengku Adnan's allegation that the former had given a political speech while visiting the An-Nur Mosque in Kampung Melayu Subang, Selangor in May.

Sivarasa claimed that Tengku Adnan's statement was malicious.

“He knew that I had already denied it in my earlier press statements which were widely reported. His false statement implies that I had the intent of using the mosque for political purposes and did not give due respect to it,” said the MP when the suit was filed.

Sivarasa's mosque visit on May 24 last year had caused a stir and earned the ire of Selangor Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah.

He had since apologised to the Selangor ruler in a letter, explaining what had actually transpired during the programme was not political in nature.

Sivarasa also claimed he has a video of Tengku Adnan's speech, which the then-minister had given at a mosque in Cheras, Kuala Lumpur.

The ex-minister had described the present deputy minister as "ketagih yang pergi ke tempat-tempat judi" (an addict who frequents gambling outlets).

“This will be shown in court through a video recording of his speech,” Sivarasa said, adding that he will wait to see how Tengku Adnan is going to substantiate the accusations against him.

Tengku Adnan had already filed his defence to the suit while Sivarasa had given his reply to the defence.