(Shah Alam, July 30) A speech at a PKR party congress in March 2023 set in motion one of the highest-profile defamation suits in Malaysian legal history — the Mahathir defamation suit against Anwar Ibrahim, in which the former prime minister is seeking RM150 million in damages from the current prime minister. The case has been suspended since early this year when Mahathir, now 101, was hospitalised at IJN after a fall, and the next case management session is scheduled online for Friday, July 31.
Why the Trial Was Suspended
Lawyer Rafique, acting for Mahathir, confirmed that the former prime minister fell at his home in January after finishing his daily treadmill exercise, when he was stepping off the machine and preparing to walk to his office. He was taken to IJN and has been there since. The trial was suspended at around the same time, with the court making allowance for his age and health. Rafique was clear that resuming the trial was not a simple matter given those factors.
Health and Age
Mahathir turned 101 on July 10, 2026, while still at IJN. On Friday, medical specialists will present their latest assessment to the court on his condition and fitness to resume proceedings. The session will be presided over online by High Court Judicial Commissioner Datuk Donald.
The Remarks at the Centre of the Case
On March 18, 2023, Anwar addressed a PKR special national congress. Without naming anyone, he described a figure who had held power for twenty-two years and an additional twenty-two months, and who had used the position to benefit himself and his family. Mahathir sued on the basis that the description was aimed at him — his first term as Prime Minister ran from 1981 to 2003, approximately 22 years, and his second term from 2018 to 2020, approximately 22 months. He also alleged in the suit that Anwar's remarks had suggested he was racist and that he had used his long tenure in office to enrich himself and his family.
The RM150 Million Claim and Apology Demands
In the Mahathir defamation suit against Anwar, the former prime minister is claiming RM100 million in exemplary damages and RM50 million in general damages. He is also asking the court to order Anwar to issue a written apology and to convene a special press conference at which he would publicly retract and apologise for the remarks he made at the 2023 congress.
Next Case Management Date
The case management session is scheduled for Friday, July 31, 2026, to be conducted online under Judicial Commissioner Datuk Donald. The medical specialists' report is the key document that will shape the next stage of the proceedings.
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*备注：本文件共17篇——12篇华文（每篇约600-1000字），5篇英文（每篇约500-900字）。所有文章均以（莎阿南30日讯）/ (Shah Alam, July 30) 格式开头。每篇标题均不同。每篇均涵盖：审讯暂停原因（敦马跌倒入住IJN）、健康状况与年龄（101岁）、涉案言论内容（PKR代表大会"掌权22年"）、索偿金额1.5亿及道歉诉求、下次案件管理日期（7月31日周五）五大要素。参考来源仅供内部使用，请勿放入任何已发布文章之中。*