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TUN Dr Mahathir Mohamad today told the Kuala Lumpur High Court that he has been a Malay since he was born, rather than of Indian descent as accused.
Believed to be the oldest politician to testify in court, the 99-year-old former prime minister was testifying in his defamation case against Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi before judicial commissioner Gan Techiong.
On July 20, 2022, Dr Mahathir filed the lawsuit, naming Zahid, who is also the Umno president and deputy prime minister, as the defendant.
“My name is Mahathir bin Mohamad and I have been a Malay and Muslim since birth and this is clear based on my identification card and evidence of my old and new birth certificate.
“My father’s name is Mohamad bin Iskandar and my mother is Wan Tempawan binti Wan Hanapi,” he said in a written witness statement.
The former Langkawi MP, dressed in a black suit, was accompanied by his wife, Tun Dr Siti Hasmah Mohamad Ali, and his son, Mukhriz Mahathir.
Zahid, the defendant, was also present in court.
The proceedings were previously postponed several times after Dr Mahathir fell ill and was admitted to the National Heart Institute for respiratory issues.
According to the statement of claim, Dr Mahathir alleged that Zahid, 71, made defamatory remarks against him during an Umno division meeting in Kelana Jaya on July 30, 2017.
Dr Mahathir’s suit states that the plaintiff genuinely believes that the defendant’s reference in the alleged defamatory statement to “that person”, “he”, and “Mahathir, the son of Iskandar Kutty”, explicitly refers to him.
As a result, he claimed that his standing as a statesman and influential political figure in the eyes of the world has been tarnished.
“Zahid lied as nobody refers to me as ‘Mahathir anak lelaki Iskandar Kutty’. There is no identification card (IC) with such a name.
“Nobody ever referred to my name as Mahathir anak lelaki Iskandar Kutty and it has never been written anywhere until Zahid made the statement supposedly that he had an IC showing Mahathir anak lelaki Iskandar Kutty. That is a lie by Zahid,” he testified.
He is seeking compensation from Zahid for allegedly hurting his reputation and causing society to lose trust and confidence in him and his leadership, and a court order for Zahid to publish an unconditional apology.
He is also seeking an injunction or court order to stop Zahid or his agents or assistants or anyone from communicating, giving comments about, repeating or causing the publication of the allegedly defamatory statements. – August 26, 2024