KUALA LUMPUR, April 18 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is prepared to face his one-time mentor Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad in court to answer the latter’s defamation claim, news portal Free Malaysia Today has reported.
Dr Mahathir had accused Anwar of defaming him last month when the PM claimed a person who had led the country for 22 years and 22 months had enriched his family and children while in office.
"We are ready to answer any allegations in court," Anwar's lawyer, Alliff Benjamin Suhaimi, was quoted telling the news portal yesterday.
Anwar had previously said he would provide evidence to back the claims he had made against Dr Mahathir.
"I will answer. If he asks for proof, I will give proof. No problem,” he said on April 7.
In a Facebook post, Dr Mahathir said yesterday was the last day for Anwar to retract his March 18 remarks at a special PKR national congress and issue a public apology.
While Anwar did not name anyone in his March 18 speech, Dr Mahathir said the statement clearly referred to him.
The 97-year-old two-time former prime minister said he would proceed with suing Anwar, having issued several letters of demand previously.
Dr Mahathir and Anwar have had a rollercoaster relationship over the years that started with the Kedahan grooming the Penangite as his successor in Umno and as future prime minister before turning bitter political enemies that later seemingly reconciled to catapult Pakatan Harapan to election victory and control of the federal government for the first time in 2018.
