UMNO president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has filed a defamation suit against former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

The suit is in regard to Dr Mahathir’s comment that Zahid sought his help to get his corruption charges dropped.

In his statement of claim filed last week at the Kuala Lumpur High Court, Zahid is seeking an injunction to stop Dr Mahathir from repeating his claims, as well as aggravated, general and exemplary damages.

The injunction will be heard on June 17, after which the court will conduct the case management of the legal suit.

He said the former prime minister’s remarks were defamatory and malicious.

Zahid denied meeting the Pejuang chairman to discuss his corruption trial.

Last month, he filed a similar suit against Muhyiddin Yassin, who is said to have made a similar claim during the Johor election campaign.

Dr Mahathir had made the remark during a press conference in Putrajaya on February 23 when he was asked if Zahid ever sought his help with regards to his court cases.

He said Zahid had sought his help in 2018 after it became clear that he would become prime minister.

In reply to his notice of summons, Dr Mahathir on March 2, in a reply, denied defaming Zahid.

Zahid is standing trial on 47 charges of money laundering and criminal breach of trust involving millions from Yayasan Akalbudi and accepting bribes for various projects during his tenure as home minister.

He is also facing 33 charges of receiving bribes amounting to RM42 million from Ultra Kirana Sdn Bhd as an inducement to extend the contract of the company as the operator of the One-Stop Centre in China and the VLN system, and to maintain the agreement to supply VLN integrated system paraphernalia to the same company by the home ministry.

Zahid was charged on another seven counts as home minister to have obtained for himself SGD$1.15 million, RM3 million, €15,000 and USD$15,000 in cash from the same company in connection with his official work. – April 27, 2022.