Mahathir’s lawyer, Mior Nor Haidir Suhaimi, informed Judicial Commissioner Gan Techiong that his client was admitted to IJN last evening for a lung infection.

“My client will be on medical leave until Oct 25,” he told Gan.

A letter from an IJN cardiologist states that Mahathir, 99, has been warded due to a lower respiratory tract infection.

Since Monday, Mahathir had been on the witness stand and cross-examined by Zahid’s lawyer, Shahrul Fazli Kamarulzaman.

Gan has vacated the hearing scheduled for today and tomorrow. The trial will continue on Oct 29 and 30.

The court has also fixed three days in December for Zahid to testify.

Mior said Mahathir’s son, Mukhriz, will be the second witness for the plaintiff .

Mahathir 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 said Zahid made the allegedly defamatory remark at an Umno divisional meeting in Kelana Jaya, Selangor, on July 30, 2017.

He claimed the remark implied that he was not born a Malay or a 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 the name referred to an individual based on information contained in a copy of an old identity card.