Najib’s lawyer Nur Shafiqah Balqish said justice Zaki Abd Wahab threw out the suit on grounds that it was no longer relevant.

“The oath-taking ceremony happened in 2009 and he is no longer the prime minister,” she said after meeting the judge in chambers for decision today.

The court also awarded Najib RM5,000 in costs.

Mat Zain’s lawyer Adenan Ismail confirmed the court’s decision.

“The court said whatever decision it made would have no effect anymore.”

However, Adenan added that his client would appeal against the dismissal.

Najib, who suffered a shock defeat in the May 9 polls, was sued by Mat Zain in March for allegedly changing the words of his oath in 2009.

Najib succeeded Abdullah Ahmad Badawi on April 3, 2009, becoming the country’s sixth prime minister.

Mat Zain had sought several declarations, including that Najib’s oath-taking ceremony was unconstitutional. He also wanted a court declaration that Najib should be disqualified as prime minister and that all decisions he had made were null and void.

Najib quit as Barisan Nasional chairman and Umno president after losing federal power to Pakatan Harapan (PH).

He also dropped his defamation lawsuits against former MCA president Dr Ling Liong Sik, several PH leaders and PAS-owned newspaper Harakah Daily.

He is now the subject of investigations in the 1MDB affair and was charged in court on Wednesday with criminal breach of trust amounting to RM42 million and abuse of power in relation to SRC International.

He claimed trial to all charges.