Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s defamation suit against former prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin will come up for full trial for 10 days in October.
The rural and regional development minister’s counsel Shahrul Fazli Kamarulzaman confirmed with Malaysiakini that the civil action’s trial before the High Court in Kuala Lumpur is scheduled from Oct 16 to 20 as well as Oct 23 to 27.
Judge Rohana Ali Yusoff is set to preside over the upcoming court proceedings.
Filed on April 4 last year, the defamation suit was over an allegation that Zahid (above, left) had sought Muhyiddin’s help to resolve or postpone the former’s criminal case.
The Bagan Datuk MP seeks a court order for the Pagoh MP to withdraw the allegedly defamatory statements.
Video footage
The BN chairperson also seeks an interim injunction for the Perikatan Nasional chairperson to delete, edit and stop the publication of part of the video footage which contained the alleged defamatory statement in news portals and social media, which included on PN’s Facebook and Astro Awani’s YouTube channel.
According to the statement of claim, Zahid, 70, alleged that during the 15th Johor state election campaign trail in Mersing, at the compound of the Learning Centre Sentuhan Kasih Felda Tenggaroh 3, on Feb 16, Muhyiddin had made the statement with ill intention and malice against him and on the same day the video footage of the statement was published on Astro Awani’s YouTube channel.
The Umno president alleged that the Bersatu president’s statement implied, among other things, that the plaintiff had used a shortcut to settle and postpone his ongoing court cases, that he had asked for the defendant’s help to intervene in the court cases and the judicial system, and to order the dissolution of the Johor state legislative assembly.
Zahid claimed that the allegations were false and targeted at tarnishing his good name and reputation.
He seeks general, aggravated and exemplary damages, as well as an order for Muhyiddin to publish a public apology in newspapers, and other reliefs and costs deemed fit by the court.
Through his statement of defence filed on May 9 last year, Muhyiddin cited the defence of justification, meaning the defendant is ready to prove in court that his statement was allegedly true.
Meanwhile, earlier today during case management of the suit before High Court deputy registrar Nor Afidah Idris, co-counsel Intan Hanis Afiqah Razali represented Zahid while lawyer Shu Ivy appeared for Muhyiddin.
The case management was for the purpose of updating the status of the bundle of documents in preparation for the upcoming full trial. - Mkini
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