News by Hafiz Yatim

It was reported that Dr Mahathir, along with his son and former Kedah menteri besar Datuk Seri Mukhriz Mahathir, former education minister Dr Maszlee Malik, Kubang Pasu member of Parliament (MP) Datuk Amiruddin Hamzah and Sri Gading MP Datuk Shaharuddin Md Salleh yesterday filed the suit.

This follows Judicial Commissioner Datuk Ahmad Shahrir Mohd Salleh's ruling that the RM100,000 frozen in June 2018, six years and four months after the former minister received the money from the former prime minister, was mainly his pension.

Justice Datuk Azimah Omar said there are triable issues to be heard and it is not proper for a summary judgement to be entered.

They named Datuk Azhar Azizan Harun and Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said, the other deputy speaker — Datuk Mohd Rashid Hasnon — and Parliament secretary Nizam Mydin Bacha Mydin as defendants.

Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Muhammad Iskandar Ahmad told Judicial Commissioner Datuk Ahmad Shahrir Mohd Salleh about this development and the court informed the prosecution to make sure that all the necessary legal arrangements are made to ensure there would not be any problems when they come.

"There is no consent given by the witnesses to release it (in the civil trial). There is also no relevance because the information sought is in a criminal case (whereas this is a civil case)," said the judge in delivering the decision in chambers.

This was revealed when Datuk Shahrol Azral Ibrahim Halmi was quizzed by defence lawyer Wan Aizuddin Wan Mohammed during cross-examination in the trial of former premier Datuk Seri Najib Razak, where he is facing abuse of power and money-laundering charges involving 1MDB funds.

The highest and final appellate court in Malaysia had also fixed Oct 21, 2020 to hear former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak's application to intervene in Azilah's bid to set aside the conviction and death sentence.

Lawyer Muhammad Nizamuddin Abdul Hamid said the former MACC chief commissioner Tan Sri Abu Kassim Mohammad was also part of the task force.

Judicial commissioner Quay Chew Soon ruled that Deepak's and the others' statement of claim did not disclose reasonable cause of action as the essential element to sustain his claims of a conspiracy to injure, misfeasance in public office, breach of duty of care and defamation.