Lawyer Muhammad Shafee Abdullah, who sought the adjournment, told a five-member Federal Court bench chaired by Chief Justice Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat that he had no legal standing to represent an interim liquidator.

The publisher is currently in creditors’ voluntary liquidation.

However, lawyer Americk Sidhu, representing Manjeet, objected to the postponement on grounds that Shafee has instruction to represent the interim liquidator, Tee Guan Pian.

Americk said the appeal should proceed as the legal questions framed and approved by the Federal Court on July 24 last year would be of public advantage.

“There is also no question of preserving any assets of Utusan Melayu because the judgment sum (RM200,000) had been paid following the High Court ruling,” he said.

Tengku Maimun allowed Shafee’s application and fixed case management on Nov 12.

Americk later told reporters the appeal hearing had been postponed twice after Utusan obtained leave to appeal against a Court of Appeal ruling.

On March 13, the Court of Appeal upheld the decision of the High Court which had found the publisher liable for defaming Manjeet.

It also maintained the amount of damages awarded by the High Court.

Manjeet had filed a RM2.5 million suit on Sept 26, 2011, in which he named former Padang Serai MP N Gobalakrishnan, former Utusan Malaysia journalist Raja Syahrir Abu Bakar, Utusan Melayu and TV3 as the defendants.

On Sept 11, 2015, then High Court judge Nor Bee Ariffin ordered Gobalakrishnan to pay Manjeet RM150,000 in damages, while Utusan Melayu and Raja Syahrir would have to pay RM200,000.

However, she rejected Manjeet’s suit against TV3 and ordered him to pay RM50,000 in costs after finding no evidence that he had been defamed by the TV station.

The Court of Appeal dismissed Gobalakrishnan’s appeal but allowed Manjeet’s appeal against TV3.

The broadcaster was ordered to pay RM200,000 in damages and did not appeal.

Gobalakrishnan has filed a leave application to appeal to the Federal Court.