Mahathir, 97, filed the defamation suit through Messrs Haidir & Co at the High Court here on July 20, naming Zahid, 69, as the sole defendant.
In his statement of claim, the former prime minister claimed that Umno president Zahid had issued a defamatory statement against him during the party’s divisional meeting at Kelana Jaya on July 30, 2017.
He said the statement was reproduced on Astro Awani’s YouTube channel and several online news portals, which could be accessed by internet users without any restrictions.
Mahathir claimed the statement was meant to imply that he was not born a Malay or a Muslim, with the alleged original name of “Mahathir son of Iskandar Kutty”.
He also said the statement suggested he claimed to be a Malay when he became the prime minister to gain political and personal advantage, apart from belittling Malaysians of Indian Muslim descent.
The Pejuang chairman and Langkawi MP claimed that the statement had ruined his reputation as a responsible politician who cared for the welfare of the people and gave the impression that he was dishonest and untrustworthy, selfish, cunning and deceptive to achieve personal gain.
He is demanding general, exemplary and excessive damages in addition to an injunction to prevent Zahid or his agents from commenting, repeating or causing the publication of the statement.
He is also seeking a court order for Zahid to issue an unconditional oral and written apology, costs and other appropriate relief.
Zahid, in his statement of defence filed on Aug 17 through Messrs Shahrul Hamidi & Haziq, denied that the statement was malicious to slander and harm Mahathir’s reputation in the public eye.
He claimed that the name “Mahathir son of Iskandar Kutty” referred to an individual based on the information in an old copy of an identity card, and said he also had no control over any video publication regarding his statement on the media platform.
Counsel Mior Nor Haidir Suhaimi, who represented Mahathir, told Bernama today the online proceedings before deputy registrar Nor Afidah Idris fixed Sept 13 for further case management.
“The plaintiff also needs to file a response to the defendant’s statement of defence before or on Sept 8,” the lawyer said.