Mahathir, Zahid settle dispute over ‘Kutty’ remark

Mahathir, Zahid settle dispute over ‘Kutty’ remark

Mahathir, Zahid settle dispute over 'Kutty' remark

KUALA LUMPUR: Former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi have agreed to settle their disputes at the High Court.

The 100-year-old Dr Mahathir agreed to withdraw his defamation lawsuit against the Umno president over the “Kutty” remark linked to his lineage.

Meanwhile, Ahmad Zahid withdrew his lawsuit against Dr Mahathir over allegations that he had met Dr Mahathir to discuss his court case before the latter’s reappointment as prime minister in 2018.

Ahmad Zahid also agreed to withdraw his committal proceedings against Dr Mahathir regarding a press conference linked to the “Kutty” defamation suit.

The settlement was recorded before Judicial Commissioner Gan Techiong on Tuesday.

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JC Gan thanked the parties for their professional conduct and their ability to persuade their clients to settle the dispute amicably.

“I wish your respective clients all the best, especially the 100-year-old client (Dr Mahathir),” JC Gan said.

Earlier, Ahmad Zahid’s lawyer, Mohamed Shahrul Fazli Kamarulzaman, informed the court that both parties wished to withdraw their lawsuits without liberty to file afresh.

Dr Mahathir’s lawyer, Mior Nor Haidir Suhaimi, confirmed the matter.

Related video: Mahathir, Zahid settle dispute over ‘Kutty’ remark (Dailymotion)

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The court did not make any order as to costs.

In a joint statement released immediately, both parties said they decided to resolve their personal disputes in the interest of prioritising the welfare of the people and restoring harmony among the nation’s leaders.

“Ahmad Zahid does not dispute that Dr Mahathir’s registered name with the National Registration Department (NRD) is Mahathir bin Mohamad.

“Any prior statements to the contrary were made based on information from the then NRD, which Ahmad Zahid had no reason to suspect at that time. Any reference to the existence of such an identity document is hereby retracted,” it said.

Meanwhile, Dr Mahathir did not dispute that his statement made on February 23, 2022, related to the criminal investigation or proceedings against Ahmad Zahid, was based on third-party information that he had no reason to suspect at that time, the statement added.

The statement further said Dr Mahathir had resigned as the seventh prime minister and was not part of the government on both occasions referred to.

Any reference to Ahmad Zahid attempting through any statements or meetings to cease the criminal proceedings against him outside the judicial process was also retracted.

“This resolution is intended to bring closure to the ongoing civil proceedings, to reinforce the spirit of national unity, strengthen public confidence in the country’s leadership, and uphold the principles of constitutional supremacy and the integrity of the judicial institution,” the statement added.

On July 20, 2022, Dr Mahathir filed the lawsuit against Ahmad Zahid, 73, as the sole defendant, for allegedly issuing defamatory statements regarding the “Kutty” issue.

In his statement of claim, Dr Mahathir alleged that Ahmad Zahid defamed him by calling him “Mahathir son of Iskandar Kutty” during an Umno divisional meeting in Kelana Jaya on July 30, 2017.

In his defence, Ahmad Zahid denied that the statement made on July 30, 2017, was malicious and slanderous or harmed the reputation of the plaintiff in the public eye.

On January 7, Ahmad Zahid was granted leave by the High Court to initiate contempt proceedings against Dr Mahathir, related to the lawsuit.

The proceedings concerned a press conference by Dr Mahathir at the lobby of the Kuala Lumpur Court Complex on December 5, 2024, where he showed several documents, including his identity card, to the media after testifying in his lawsuit against Ahmad Zahid regarding the “Kutty” issue.

On April 20, 2022, Ahmad Zahid filed a defamation suit against Dr Mahathir for claiming he sought the latter’s help to drop his corruption charges.

Ahmad Zahid claimed that Dr Mahathir defamed him when the latter claimed that Zahid sought his help to drop his corruption cases in court.