“I became less popular due to Zahid’s (defamatory) statement. He implied that I was not a Malay or a Muslim,” he said under cross-examination by Zahid’s lawyer, Shahrul Fazli Kamaruzman.
Mahathir, 99, is suing Zahid over the deputy prime minister’s alleged use of the name “Kutty”, which Mahathir said was intended as a derogatory reference to him.
In his statement of claim, he alleged that Zahid made the allegedly defamatory remark at an Umno divisional meeting in Kelana Jaya, in Selangor, on July 30, 2017.
He claimed the statement was meant to imply that he was not born a Malay or Muslim, and that his original name was “Mahathir son of Iskandar Kutty”.
It also implied that the name “Mahathir Mohamad” was used to profit himself politically and personally.
In his defence, Zahid said that the name referred to an individual based on information contained in a copy of an old identity card.
Mahathir said people believed Zahid because he was the deputy prime minister in 2017.
“I did not expect his statement to influence the people. I realised this after the 2018 general election (GE14),” he added.
Mahathir, who was prime minister for the second time between 2018 and 2020, said Bersatu – the party he was leading – only won 13 of the 52 parliamentary seats it contested in GE14. Most of these wins were against candidates from Umno.
Pakatan Harapan won GE14 and Mahathir was appointed prime minister, although Bersatu had won fewer seats compared to PKR and DAP.
Questioned further, Mahathir said he did not file the suit against Zahid soon after GE14 as he had to prioritise more pressing matters faced by the PH government at the time.
“When I was no longer the prime minister, I decided to sue as the statement had affected my credibility,” he said, adding that he had considered the views of others before filing the suit.
Zahid has a separate suit against Mahathir over Mahathir’s statement that Zahid had sought his help to get corruption charges brought against him dropped.
At a Feb 23, 2022 press conference, Mahathir claimed that Zahid and several others had met him at his home just after GE14.
The hearing continues before judicial commissioner Gan Techiong.