Dr M, Zahid withdraw libel suits against each other
KUALA LUMPUR : In a surprise move, two defamation suits involving Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad before Judicial Commissioner Gan Techiong have been discontinued.
This came after lawyers for both parties informed the judge that they had reached an amicable settlement and would not proceed with the suits, including one in which Zahid had cited Mahathir for contempt.
The judge thanked both parties for not prolonging the matter.
'The suits are struck out with no liberty to file afresh,' Gan said, adding that each party would bear their own costs.
Before the open court proceedings, lawyer Shahrul Fazli Kamarulzaman, representing Zahid, along with Mahathir's counsel Mior Nor Haidir Suhaimi and Nizam Bashir, met with Gan in his chambers.
Mahathir and his son, Mukhriz, had taken the stand, while Zahid was scheduled to testify as the defendant.
Zahid, the deputy prime minister, had initiated committal proceedings against Mahathir over a press conference which the former prime minister held last year after testifying in his defamation suit.
Gan was scheduled to deliver his ruling today, but the lawyers informed the court that both suits would be withdrawn.
Zahid's suit against Mahathir had yet to commence.
Mahathir, who turned 100 on July 10, filed his suit over Zahid's allegedly derogatory use of the name 'Kutty' in reference to him.
In his statement of claim, Mahathir alleged that Zahid had defamed him during an Umno divisional meeting in Kelana Jaya on July 30, 2017.
He claimed the statement was meant to imply that he was not born a Malay or a Muslim, and that his original name was Mahathir son of Iskandar Kutty.
In his defence, Zahid said the name Mahathir son of Iskandar Kutty referred to an individual based on information from an old copy of an identity card.
Zahid meanwhile filed his suit after Mahathir claimed that the Umno president had sought his assistance to have corruption charges against him 'dropped'.
At a press conference on Feb 23, 2022, Mahathir claimed that Zahid and several others had met him at his home immediately after the 14th general election in 2018.
He allegedly said Zahid wanted to be 'friendly' with him before Mahathir became the prime minister for a second time in May 2018.
Zahid claimed that Mahathir's remarks were untrue, unwarranted, unsubstantiated and mischievous.
Mahathir however stood by his remarks and said he was relying on the defence of justification.
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