KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 29 — Former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad argued that a statement made by Umno President Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi in July 2017 — calling him "Mahathir anak lelaki Iskandar Kutty” — might have been ignored if he were a mere "kacang putih” seller.

"If I were just a ‘kacang putih’ seller by the roadside, no one would care. But Ahmad Zahid’s statement tarnishes my reputation and name as a former prime minister and political leader,” Dr Mahathir said, as reported by Berita Harian (BH), while testifying as the plaintiff in his defamation suit against Zahid at the High Court today.

"He shouldn’t lie; his words carry weight with the public. I am here to prove that he lied. As a political party leader, he (Ahmad Zahid) should not lie,” he added.

Dr Mahathir emphasised that statements from a political party leader are taken seriously by the public. "The public has no way to verify whether Ahmad Zahid’s statement is true or false; they believe it because it comes from a political leader,” he told the court.

During cross-examination by lawyer Mohd Shahrul Fazli Kamarulzaman, representing Ahmad Zahid, Dr Mahathir explained that when the video of Ahmad Zahid's statement first went viral, he viewed it as a political statement that the public would not take seriously.

"However, I later noticed that more people began commenting on his statement. This statement was also one of the reasons Bersatu lost the 2018 election.

"When watching the video, he (Ahmad Zahid) showed an image he claimed was my original identity card, but he never displayed it clearly. It was just an image — anyone could alter it,” he said.

Dr Mahathir, testifying as the plaintiff, stated that the Umno President's statement suggested he was not Mahathir Mohamad.

In today’s proceedings, BH reported that Dr Mahathir stated he had filed a defamation suit against Ahmad Zahid because the Deputy Prime Minister's statement was a lie.

While being cross-examined, Dr Mahathir repeatedly asserted that the claim "Mahathir anak lelaki Iskandar Kutty”, supposedly on his blue identity card, is untrue.

During the proceeding, Mohd Shahrul Fazli questioned why Dr Mahathir took five years to file the lawsuit against Ahmad Zahid.

Dr Mahathir responded that he has the right to take legal action for what he believes is an insult, as the public still remembers the issue raised by the Deputy Prime Minister.

As reported by Malay Mail earlier, his lawsuit filed on July 20, 2022 at the High Court in Kuala Lumpur, Dr Mahathir is seeking compensation from Zahid for hurting his reputation and causing society to lose trust and confidence in him and his leadership.

Dr Mahathir is also seeking a court order for Zahid to publish an unconditional apology — in both written and verbal form — over the defamatory statements.

The former primer minister is also seeking an injunction or court order to stop Zahid or his agents or assistants or anyone from communicating, giving comments, repeating or causing the publication of the defamatory statements.

The hearing before High Court judicial commissioner Gan Techiong continues tomorrow.