THE Kuala Lumpur High Court has allocated nine days in August next year to hear Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s defamation suit against Perikatan Nasional (PN) chairman Muhyiddin Yassin.

The suit is related to an allegedly slanderous speech about Anwar receiving a salary of RM15 million while serving as the Selangor economic adviser.

Anwar’s counsel, S.N, Nair, said judicial commissioner Roz Mawar Rozain set the hearing for August 5 to 7, 12 to 14 and 26 to 28 during today’s case management proceedings.

“The court also ordered both parties to file interlocutory applications by June 15 and set case management for June 21,” he told reporters.

Anwar was also represented by Jaden Phoon Wai Ken at today’s proceedings while Muhyiddin was represented by Chetan Jethwani and Ivy Shu.

Anwar, 75, filed the suit on December 20 last year against Muhyiddin over his alleged slanderous statements during his speech at a campaign event in Taman Selasih, Kulim, Kedah in support of PN candidate Azman Nasrudin during the run-up to the Padang Serai parliamentary election on December 5.

Anwar is seeking general damages, aggravated damages, exemplary damages and compensatory damages from Muhyiddin, in addition to an injunctive order to prevent him from further publishing or distributing similar defamatory statements.

Muhyiddin, in his statement of defence, claimed that his speech was not slanderous but a fair comment as it was part of political campaigning for Azman. – Bernama, May 22, 2023.