Kuala Lumpur: The High Court here has fixed July 21 to hear Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s committal proceedings against Dr Mahathir Mohamad over a press conference the former prime minister held last year after testifying in his defamation lawsuit.
Judicial Commissioner Gan Techiong set the date after Mahathir’s lawyer, Mior Nor Haidir Suhaimi, informed the court that they needed more time to file additional affidavits.
“We need to get his (Mahathir’s) instructions for the purposes of filing,” he said, adding that Mahathir is currently attending the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition 2025.
Zahid’s lawyer, Shahrul Fazli Kamarulzaman, said they had no objection to the deferral of the hearing to July 21.
The court granted Zahid leave to initiate contempt proceedings on Jan 7.
This followed a press conference Mahathir had held after testifying in his defamation suit.
During the press conference, Mahathir produced copies of his identity card as well as the birth certificates of him and his children.
Zahid claimed the media conference breached the sub judice rule, potentially impairing the integrity and independence of the judiciary in administering justice.
Mahathir filed the defamation suit in 2022, alleging that Zahid had used the name “Kutty” as a derogatory reference to him.
Zahid is alleged to have made the remark at an Umno divisional meeting in Kelana Jaya, Selangor, on July 30, 2017.
Mahathir claims the remark implied that he was not born a Malay or a Muslim, and that his original name was Mahathir son of Iskandar Kutty.
It also implied that the name Mahathir Mohamad was used to profit himself politically and personally, the former prime minister said.
In his defence, Zahid said the name referred to an individual based on information contained in a copy of an old identity card.
