‘Me, I am still alive’: Mahathir draws laughs testifying in court
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Former Malaysian prime minister Mahathir Mohamad waving while leaving the Kuala Lumpur High Court on Aug 26.
PHOTO: EPA-EFE
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KUALA LUMPUR – His age may be approaching the century mark, but Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad still showed sharpness and stamina as he testified for hours at the High Court in a hearing for a defamation lawsuit.
The 99-year-old refused to take a break when the defendant’s lawyer, Mr Mohamed Shahrul Fazli Kamarulzaman, requested a short recess on Aug 27.
“We can continue,” said the former prime minister.
Dr Mahathir was testifying in a lawsuit he initiated against Deputy Prime Minister Zahid Hamidi for alleged defamation over the latter’s “Kutty” remarks.
His candour also left the courtroom in stitches when he said he was “still alive”, in response to a question from Mr Mohamed Shahrul.
“You have 10 siblings... who is still alive?” the lawyer asked. “Saya lah, saya masih hidup (Me, I am still alive),” Dr Mahathir replied.
The latter, however, changed to a serious tone when answering questions on the impugned statement by Datuk Seri Zahid.
Dr Mahathir said he was not embarrassed about having Indian ancestry, but his grievance came from the statement “Mahathir anak lelaki Iskandar Kutty”.
“I’m not ashamed to say I have Indian heritage, but that does not mean I am not Malay,” he added.
Dr Mahathir said his lineage was never something that was seriously discussed within his family.
“This lawsuit is not questioning whether Mahathir and Iskandar are Muslim names, but rather addressing the accusation of deception relating to my real name,” he added.
On July 20, 2023, Dr Mahathir filed the defamation lawsuit against Mr Zahid, 70.
He claimed that Mr Zahid issued the defamatory statement against him during an Umno division meeting in Kelana Jaya on July 30, 2017.
The statement was reproduced online, which was said to be easily accessed by internet users without any restriction.
Dr Mahathir contended that the defamatory statement meant that he was not born a Malay or a Muslim, with the alleged original name of “Mahathir son of Iskandar Kutty”, and that he claimed to be a Malay when he became prime minister to gain political and personal advantage.
In his statement of defence, Mr Zahid denied that the statement made on July 30, 2017, was malicious, slanderous and harmed the reputation of the plaintiff in the public eye.
The Umno president claimed that the name “Mahathir son of Iskandar Kutty” refers to an individual based on the information in an old copy of an identity card.
Mr Zahid also said he had no control over any video publication regarding his statement.
The hearing continues before Judicial Commissioner Gan Techiong on Oct 14.
THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
