October 17, 2024
KUALA LUMPUR – Former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad was admitted to the National Heart Institute (IJN) on Tuesday (Oct 15), the Kuala Lumpur High Court was told.
Dr Mahathir’s lawyer Mior Nor Haidir Suhaimi informed the court that his client was admitted to IJN yesterday afternoon due to a lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI).
“As such, my client has been issued medical leave until Oct 25. I request that today’s and tomorrow’s hearings be vacated,” he said.
Judicial Commissioner Gan Techiong then scheduled the continuation of the trial for Oct 29 and 30, as well as Dec 5, 6, and 9.
The trial will continue on Oct 29.
According to the statement of claim filed on July 20, 2022, Dr Mahathir alleged that Ahmad Zahid, 71, made defamatory remarks against him during an Umno division meeting in Kelana Jaya on July 30, 2017.
The 99-year-old Dr Mahathir believed that the individual referred to by the Umno president, the defendant, in the defamatory statement as “that person”, “he”, and “Mahathir the son of Iskandar Kutty” clearly referred to him specifically.
As a result, he stated that his standing as a statesman and influential political figure in the eyes of the world has been tarnished.
Dr Mahathir also claimed that Ahmad Zahid’s defamatory statement implicitly questioned and cast doubt on his credibility to lead the country and a party that prioritises Malays as a whole.