Court defers Dr M's 'kutty' defamation suit against Zahid again

Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s “kutty” defamation suit trial against Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has been postponed again following the former premier’s hospitalisation at the National Heart Institute.

The Kuala Lumpur High Court today deferred the full hearing of the civil action over the deputy prime minister’s alleged slandering of Mahathir to Aug 26.

Mahathir's counsel Mior Nor Haidir Suhamimi told judicial commissioner Gan Techiong that the nonagenarian was hospitalised on Monday, a day after he came back from London.

The lawyer said a doctor issued a directive on Tuesday, not allowing Mahathir, 99, to be discharged to ensure continuing treatment.

"Mahathir was supposed to testify today, but he is still in IJN since Monday.

"We tried to get Mahathir to come to trial today, but the specialist did not allow him to be discharged," Mior said.

Zahid's counsel Mohamed Shahrul Fazli Kamarulzaman expressed sympathy over Mahathir's health and hoped the plaintiff would get well soon.

Second time

Gan reminded Mahathir's legal team that the lawsuit has been pending since its filing in 2022.

The judicial commissioner noted that today's adjournment is the second time over similar reasons, noting that the trial on Feb 13 was postponed over hospitalisation reasons as well.

"I also hope that Tun (Mahathir) will recover quickly and well enough to attend court on Aug 26 and 27.

"With all due respect, as we get closer to the date (Aug 26), (Mahathir's lawyers) should advise him not to go overseas just before the trial date and have a good rest so he can attend court.

"We sympathise, but we cannot keep adjourning over health reasons, such as on Feb 13 and today," Gan said.

The judicial commissioner then said if Mahathir can’t attend court on Aug 26, then another witness such as Mahathir’s son Mukhriz should be made ready to testify.

On July 20, 2022, Mahathir filed a civil action, alleging that Zahid made a slanderous remark about his ancestry.

Mahathir claimed that the 71-year-old Umno president made the statement during a speech at the Kelana Jaya party division meeting on July 30, 2017.

During the speech, then-home minister Zahid was alleged to have dredged up a copy of Mahathir’s identity card, which purportedly stated his name as “Mahathir a/l Iskandar Kutty”.

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