Ahmad Zahid Gets Leave To Initiate Contempt Proceedings Against Tun M 

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 7 (Bernama) -- Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi was granted leave by the High Court here today to commence contempt proceedings against former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

The proceedings are related to Dr Mahathir's actions in holding a press conference on Dec 5 last year at the lobby of the Kuala Lumpur Court Complex, during which he displayed several copies of documents, including his identity card, after giving testimony in his lawsuit against Ahmad Zahid regarding the ‘kutty’ issue.

Lawyer Mohamed Shahrul Fazli Kamarulzaman, representing Ahmad Zahid, said that during the in-chamber proceedings before Judicial Commissioner Gan Techiong today, the court allowed his client's application to initiate the committal proceedings after hearing the ex-parte application filed by the UMNO president.

Dr Mahathir had completed his testimony in the lawsuit proceedings on Dec 5 while his son, Datuk Seri Mukhriz, was the last plaintiff's witness on Dec 9. Ahmad Zahid is expected to testify as the defendant's witness on May 14.

Dr Mahathir, 99, had filed the suit against Ahmad Zahid, 72, for allegedly making defamatory statements about him regarding the ‘kutty’ issue.

According to the statement of claim filed on July 20, 2022, Dr Mahathir claims that Ahmad Zahid made defamatory remarks about him during a UMNO division meeting in Kelana Jaya on July 30, 2017, and the statement was republished on Astro Awani's YouTube channel and several online news portals, which were accessible to internet users without restrictions.

-- BERNAMA