Tun M warded for lung infection, defamation trial postponed
The hearing of the 99-year-old's defamation suit against Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi today was postponed until Oct 29.
SHAH ALAM - Former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has been warded at the National Heart Institute (IJN) in Kuala Lumpur yesterday (Oct 15) due to a lung infection.
As a result, the hearing of the 99-year-old's defamation suit against Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi today was postponed until Oct 29.
According to a report by Malay daily Sinar Harian, Dr Mahathir's lawyer Mior Nor Haidir Suhaimi said his client received treatment at IJN yesterday afternoon and has been given 12 days of medical leave until next Thursday.
The trial was originally scheduled for Oct 16 and 17.
Dr Mahathir filed the lawsuit on July 20, 2022 naming Zahid as the sole defendant.
According to the statement of claim, the former prime minister alleged that the defendant made defamatory remarks against him during an Umno division meeting in Kelana Jaya on July 30, 2017.
Dr Mahathir believed that the Umno president's reference in the defamatory statement as "that person", "he", and "Mahathir, the son of Iskandar Kutty", clearly referred to him specifically.
He claimed that the defendant's statement damaged his reputation as a statesman and prominent political figure on the global stage.
