KUALA LUMPUR: Umno president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has sued former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad for defamation.
In his statement of claim, Ahmad Zahid claimed that Dr Mahathir had defamed him when he (Dr Mahathir) alleged the Bagan Datuk MP had met with him to seek help with his court cases.
Ahmad Zahid has two ongoing court cases in the Shah Alam and Kuala Lumpur court complexes.
According to the court document, Dr Mahathir uttered the alleged defamatory statements in a Pejuang event in relation with the Johor state election at Yayasan Kepimpinan Perdana on Feb 23.
It was alleged that Dr Mahathir claimed Ahmad Zahid had come to his home with two or three others just after the 14th General Election, before the nonagenarian became the prime minister for the second time.
On the same day, a recording of the event specifically on the defendant’s statement was reproduced or republished on Astro Awani’s YouTube account that could be accessed online.
Ahmad Zahid also claimed that from the alleged defamatory statements and news articles were published on several online news portals.
“The plaintiff pleads that the defendant had uttered the defamatory statements with malice and placed the plaintiff in a public scandal, therefore inciting hate from the public against the plaintiff,” the document stated.
Ahmad Zahid said the malicious statements were untrue, unwarranted, unsubstantiated and mischievous.
He added that the alleged statements were meant to say he was a person who could use “shortcuts” to resolve his ongoing criminal cases, he was a dishonest and untruthful person, and he had sought the help of the prime minister to interfere with his ongoing court cases, among others.
Ahmad Zahid is seeking general, aggravated and exemplary damages as well as an injunction to stop Dr Mahathir or his agents from republishing the alleged defamatory statements.
He is also seeking an apology from the defendant, costs and other reliefs deemed fit by the court.
The case was fixed for case management before High Court deputy registrar Nor Afidah Idris yesterday.