KUALA LUMPUR (June 4): Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad’s RM5 million libel suit against former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak has been postponed, as Dzulkefly’s lawyer had abruptly discharged himself from the case.
Datuk Sankara Nair had confirmed with The Edge that he had discharged himself from representing Dzulkefly.
Sankara had informed Judicial Commissioner Arziah Apandi at the High Court here that he intended to discharge himself from the case.
He, however, did not give a reason for discharging himself.
Najib’s lawyer, Farhan Shafee, did not object. Arziah then allowed Sankara’s application to discharge himself and then set March 5, 2025 for the trial to begin.
She also set July 10, 2024 for case management and vacated all trial dates which were set for the week.
Sankara informed The Edge that no lawyer has been appointed as yet for Dzulkefly.
It was reported that Dzulkefly had initially filed the defamation suit against Najib in the High Court here on Dec 31, 2021, following Najib’s Facebook post which alleged that Dzulkefly practised nepotism to ensure his daughter Nurul Iman’s appointment as a board member of Amanah Ikhtiar Malaysia in 2019.
Dzulkefly, in his original statement of claim, alleged that Najib’s Facebook post on Aug 24, 2020 had defamed him.