Dzulkefly’s lawyer, SN Nair, said judicial commissioner Arief Emran Arifin allowed the application during an online proceeding last week.

“We have been instructed to file the amended writ of summons and statement of claim by April 22. The defendant will file his amended defence by May 6,” Nair told FMT.

Baharudden Mohamed Ariff represented Asyraf.

Nair, who was assisted by Jaden Phoon, said a case management will be held on May 9 for the parties to update the judge on the case.

The parties were allowed to file amendments as Dzulkefly recently appointed the legal firm of SN Nair & Partners to take over the conduct of the suit from the previous solicitors.

Dzulkefly, who has filed a similar suit against Najib Razak, first filed the action against the former prime minister and Asyraf last December.

The Kuala Selangor MP said Najib defamed him in a Facebook posting regarding the appointment of his (Dzulkefly’s) daughter, Nurul Iman, to the Amanah Ikhtiar Malaysia board.

Dzulkelfy commenced action against Asyraf following a tweet by the Umno Youth chief dated Aug 24, 2020. A screenshot of the tweet was taken in which Asyraf appeared to be referring to a Sinar Harian article dated Jan 28, 2019.

Dzulkefly said the content of the tweet was meant to personally attack and humiliate him as Amanah’s strategic director.

He denied any wrongdoing in Nurul Iman’s appointment, saying it was made before he became a minister, and her appointment as director was retained even after the Pakatan Harapan government collapsed in 2020.

Asyraf filed his defence in early February.