THE High Court is set to determine whether proceedings in Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad's RM150 million defamation suit against Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim can resume after receiving an update on the former prime minister's medical condition on Friday.
An online case management session will be held before Judicial Commissioner Datuk Donald Joseph Franklin, where the court is expected to be informed of Dr Mahathir's readiness to continue giving evidence after the trial was adjourned earlier this year.
Counsel for Dr Mahathir, Muhammad Rafique Rashid Ali, said the former prime minister remains under the care of the National Heart Institute (IJN), with specialists expected to advise the court on whether he is medically fit to proceed.
"At present, Dr Mahathir remains under the care of the National Heart Institute and, according to the specialists, they will be able to provide an update on Friday regarding his readiness and fitness to resume the trial.
"It is not something straightforward given Dr Mahathir's age and his medical parameters," he said.
The civil proceedings were suspended after Dr Mahathir suffered a fall while exercising at home and was admitted to IJN on Jan 6 for observation and treatment.
Rafique previously said the incident occurred as Dr Mahathir was stepping off a treadmill after completing his daily brisk walk before leaving for his office.
The two-time former prime minister, who celebrated his 101st birthday on July 10, is suing Anwar over remarks allegedly made during PKR's Special National Congress at Stadium Melawati, Shah Alam, on March 18, 2023.
In his statement of claim, Dr Mahathir alleges that Anwar defamed him by portraying him as racist and accusing him of enriching himself and members of his family throughout his 22 years as prime minister.
He is seeking RM100 million in exemplary damages and RM50 million in general damages, together with a written apology and an order requiring Anwar to hold a special press conference to publicly retract and apologise for the statements.
Friday's case management is expected to determine the future direction of the long-running civil action, including whether hearing dates can be fixed for the trial to resume or whether further adjournments will be necessary, depending on Dr Mahathir's medical assessment. - July 29, 2026
