Anwar’s lawyer, SN Nair, said Justice Hassan Abdul Ghani set April 23, 24 and 25 as the trial dates when the suit came up for online case management today.

The parties were instructed to file and exchange witness statements by April 11.

In a statement of claim filed on Dec 22, Anwar, the Pakatan Harapan chairman, said the defendant had made several statements to a group of customers at a restaurant on Dec 7.

Anwar, who is also the PKR president, claimed the statements were published on the TikTok account of @nelly3868 later that day.

The post received more than 4,980 views, 62 comments, 116 likes, was “favourite” 18 times and shared by 50 users. It is still accessible on TikTok.

Anwar said the statements implied that he was untrustworthy and dishonest about his actual remuneration as economic adviser to the Selangor government.

He also claimed the statements implied that he had deceived the public on the matter, committed a criminal offence and betrayed the people’s mandate.

Anwar claimed the impugned statements were false, malicious and disparaging, adding that he was highly respected nationally and internationally as someone who opposed corruption.

He also denounced the statements as being politically motivated.

“The statements are unfounded and I was portrayed as an ex-convict although I have been given a royal pardon,” he said in the statement of claim.

He said the defendant had deliberately and maliciously ignored former Selangor menteri besar Khalid Ibrahim’s statement at the state legislative assembly in 2012, which confirmed that he had received a symbolic sum of RM1 as the state’s economic adviser.

Anwar is seeking general and compensatory damages as well as aggravated and exemplary damages.

Amzad is relying on the defence of justification, qualified privilege and fair comment to dismiss the suit.