The hearing has now been rescheduled to run from Feb 13 to 16 next year.

Lawyer Mior Nor Haidir Suhaimi, who represented Mahathir, said the court informed parties last week the hearing had been adjourned as Justice Rozana Ali Yusoff, who was to preside over the case, has been transferred.

The hearing had been slated to run from today until Thursday.

“The hearing has now been fixed for next year but it is yet to be known who the replacement judge (will be),” Mior told the media after an online case management before court deputy registrar Nor Faridah Idris.

He said the next case management is on Nov 28.

Lawyer Intan Hanis Afiqah Razali represented Zahid.

Mahathir, 98, was scheduled to testify today followed by his son Mukhriz, while Zahid and two other witnesses for the defence were slated to testify later.

Mahathir filed the suit on July 20 last year, naming Zahid, 70, as the defendant.

In his statement of claim, the former prime minister alleged that Zahid had defamed him during an Umno divisional meeting held in Kelana Jaya on July 30, 2017.

He said the statement was republished on Astro Awani’s YouTube channel and several online news portals.

Mahathir claims the statement was meant to imply that he was not born a Malay or a Muslim, and that his original name was “Mahathir son of Iskandar Kutty”.

He said the statement suggested that he claimed to be a Malay when he became the prime minister for political and personal advantage.

He also claims the statement belittled Malaysians of Indian-Muslim descent.

The former Pejuang chairman and ex-Langkawi MP said the statement has ruined his reputation as a responsible politician who cared for the welfare of the people.

He said it gave the impression that he was dishonest, untrustworthy, selfish, cunning and deceptive for personal gain.

Mahathir is demanding general, exemplary and punitive 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 that Zahid issue an unconditional oral and written apology, costs and other appropriate relief.

Zahid, in his defence filed on Aug 17, denies that the statement was made maliciously or to slander Mahathir or harm his public reputation.

He claims that the name “Mahathir son of Iskandar Kutty” referred to an individual based on the information in an old copy of an identity card.

Zahid also said he had no control over the republication of the statement made on any media platform.