New judge to hear Mahathir's libel suit against Anwar
SHAH ALAM : A new judge will be assigned to hear former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad's defamation lawsuit against Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.
Lawyer Alliff Benjamin Suhaimi, representing Anwar, said judicial commissioner Zaharah Hussain, who was scheduled to preside over the trial next week, had informed parties about the matter.
'She told us that a new judge would be assigned to take over the case and fix trial dates,' Benjamin told reporters following a case management yesterday.
Zaharah previously fixed Aug 18 to Aug 20 as trial dates.
Lawyer Rafique Rashid Ali, representing Mahathir, confirmed that parties would appear before the new judge on Aug 18.
'The Aug 19 and Aug 20 trial dates still stand and have not been vacated,' he added.
Zaharah was the second judge to be assigned to the case, following the recusal of Justice Jamhirah Ali due to family ties with one of the lawyers.
Mahathir is suing Anwar for statements made at a PKR congress on March 18, 2023, allegedly referring to him as racist and claiming that he had enriched his family while in office.
Mahathir also said that Anwar's statements were made in his capacity as prime minister and, as such, had a far more devastating effect on him than similar statements made by ordinary citizens.
He said the statements were intended to dent his public image as they were viewed and heard by a wide spectrum of people.
He also said that the allegations had eroded his status as a statesman and former prime minister.
He wants Anwar to retract all allegedly defamatory statements about him and publish the retractions on both mainstream and social media.
He also wants Anwar to extend an unconditional apology and undertake not to repeat the same or similar statements.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New Straits Times
21 minutes ago
- New Straits Times
Anwar: ILMU 1.0 will ensure AI benefits 'every Malaysian in every corner'
KUALA LUMPUR: Artificial intelligence (AI), if approached with foresight and courage, can bridge development divides, empower small businesses, uplift rural communities, and strengthen public services, healthcare, and education, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. Speaking at the launch of Malaysia's upgraded ILMU large language model (LLM) today, Anwar said the nation stood at "a defining crossroads" in harnessing technology to shape its economic future, identity, public trust, and moral compass. "Our vision is not only to harness AI just to catch up with the rest of the world, but to lead in some areas, to protect our values, to give meaning to the principle of equity and justice," he said. He cautioned that failure to address the widening knowledge gap in new disciplines could deepen divisions between the skilled and the unskilled. "Would we rather remain completely incapable of mounting an effective challenge to uplift the standards? "The divide will become real and the challenges for the country would be serious," he said. Malaysia's AI Nation framework, he added, would ensure AI benefits "every Malaysian in every corner of the country" through five pillars: forward-looking policies, a digitally skilled workforce, secure and reliable infrastructure, advancement of digital trust, and strategic investments via public-private partnerships and global collaboration. "We have made a very bold decision, and I'm proud to say that we are ahead… with such confidence in terms of digitalisation and AI. "We want to share this and work together with our neighbours in Southeast Asia," he said. Alluding to a meeting with religious scholars in Kelantan two days earlier, Anwar stressed the importance of keeping pace with technological change while continuing to uphold faith and moral values. "I commend them initially for becoming the best in the battle against colonialism in all its forms… That phase has passed. "So I told these leaders, scholars, this generation, and I believe the future generation, we remain eternally grateful to you, where you stood firm to defend the faith and moral values, and in rejecting the imposition by a foreign alien system. "But then, here's the catch — what about now? "I'm not here to change or dictate the curriculum. But I appeal to you: while retaining faith and moral values based on Islamic tradition, we are now confronting a different power challenge. "If you do not address this, it will cause a divide between those who have high knowledge and those who remain completely ignorant of the new disciplines," he said. The launch, part of the Asean AI Malaysia Summit 2025 opening ceremony, marked the start of an inaugural gathering to chart the direction of AI in Malaysia, particularly in governance. The two-day summit at the Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre (Mitec) is organised by the Digital Ministry and attended by Minister Gobind Singh Deo, Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Shamsul Azri Bakar, Asean secretary-general Dr Kao Kim Hourn, and Asean delegates, alongside global experts and industry players. Malaysia's sovereign AI platform, ILMU — short for Intelek Luhur Malaysia Untukmu (Excellent Malaysian Intelligence for You) — is a homegrown LLM developed by YTL AI Labs. Built to understand and process text, voice, and images, it is designed with strong emphasis on local context, ethics, and safety. The first iteration, ILMU 0.1, was unveiled in December 2024 and outperformed leading global LLMs in Malay-language benchmarks, even passing Malaysia's PT3 and SPM national exams with top grades. Today's launch of ILMU 1.0 marks a major upgrade, supported by Malaysia's first national AI supercomputer housed at YTL Power's green data centre in Johor. Powered by NVIDIA's GB200 "Grace Blackwell" chips via the DGX Cloud platform, the infrastructure delivers the computing capacity needed for advanced AI training and deployment. The ILMU project is part of Malaysia's broader push to build sovereign AI capabilities that are globally competitive while serving national priorities.
The Sun
21 minutes ago
- The Sun
Malaysia-led team monitors Thailand-Cambodia ceasefire transparency
GEMAS: The Malaysia-led Interim Observer Team (IOT) is actively investigating the transparency of the ceasefire along the Thailand-Cambodia border. Chief of Defence Force Gen Tan Sri Mohd Nizam Jaffar confirmed the team's critical role in addressing reported violations. 'We have received reports from both countries of several ceasefire violations. 'The team on the ground will investigate these reports... our main aim is to ensure that the ceasefire is implemented transparently and runs smoothly,' he said. Mohd Nizam added that Thailand and Cambodia have been urged to coordinate with their respective Joint Action Groups, including legal representatives. He spoke to reporters after attending the 2025 Firepower Training at Syed Sirajuddin Camp. Deputy Defence Minister Adly Zahari and Chief of Army Gen Tan Sri Muhammad Hafizuddeain Jantan were also present at the event. Both Thailand and Cambodia have committed to strictly observing the ceasefire, maintaining current troop positions without further reinforcements. This agreement was formalised in the Agreed Minutes of the Extraordinary General Border Committee Meeting on Aug 7. The document mandates that neither side engage in unprovoked firing towards the other's positions or troops to prevent escalating tensions. Mohd Nizam revealed that the IOT conducts meetings with Thai and Cambodian officials at least twice weekly to monitor developments. Malaysia stands ready to deploy representatives for the next phase, involving the ASEAN Defence Attaché Observer Team (AOT). – Bernama
Sinar Daily
21 minutes ago
- Sinar Daily
Malaysia #QuranHour 2025 to inspire independence through empathy
SHAH ALAM – Marking its 11th year, the Malaysia #QuranHour 2025 programme will be held on Aug 30 with the theme 'Independence with Empathy', aiming to promote compassion, unity and transformation in the spirit of true independence. The date also coincides with 6 Rabiulawal 1447H, the birth month of Prophet Muhammad SWT, which carries the spirit of migration and transformation. Warisan Ummah Ikhlas Foundation (WUIF) chief executive officer Marhaini Yusoff said the theme reflects the need for transformation that benefits the nation. 'When we talk about independence, we also talk about transformation that can be carried out for the nation. This year is more special because Malaysia #QuranHour is recognised under the National Day celebration agenda by the Communications Ministry, making it part of the official government's event,' she said. The one-hour programme will run from noon at the main venue to be announced later, while also taking place simultaneously at locations nationwide. RTM will serve as the main broadcaster, with other media partners including Astro Awani, Astro Oasis, TV AlHijrah, TV9, Bernama, Sinar Harian, Media Prima, IKIM FM, Zayan FM, TV IKIM, Denaihati Network, Nu Ideaktiv and Santai Travel. Marhaini said the sub-theme 'Malaysia Madani, Rakyat Disantuni' (Malaysia Madani: People Cared For) aligns with the message of Surah Al-Saff verse 14, which calls upon the ummah to become helpers of the religion of Allah SAW. She noted that Surah Al-Balad also emphasises helping four key groups which are the oppressed, the hungry, the orphans and the poor. 'In the current context, this includes helping victims of bullying, those in debt, victims of physical violence and others. These are the true values of independence – when we are saved from the torment of hell, forgiven of sins, enter paradise, receive the help of Allah and gain victory in this world,' she explained. She added that 'Independence with Empathy' means cultivating empathy within every leader, policymaker, civil servant and citizen to understand and take action on issues faced by the community. 'The stories in Surah Al-Saff verse 14 and Surah Ali Imran verse 52 show the empathy of Prophet Isa AS which drove action. Similarly, in the bullying issues we see today, the people rise up because they feel the pain of the victims. This is the spirit we want to carry,' she said. Marhaini invites Malaysians from all backgrounds, both locally and abroad, to join the movement, with hopes of making the nation a model for neighbouring countries and foreign embassies. With the event coinciding with a Saturday and a long weekend, WUIF expects strong participation. 'We want all families, regardless of background, to come and echo the message of 'Idependence with Empathy' so that we can be truly free Malaysians in the eyes of the world and in the sight of Allah,' she said.
