KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 25 — Former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad today told the High Court that he has been a Malay since he was born, rather than of being Indian descent as accused.
Testifying as the first witness in his defamation lawsuit against Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi over the latter’s remarks, Dr Mahathir sought to fend off any allegation that he was born “Mahathir a/l Iskandar Kutty” or the son of one “Iskandar Kutty”.
“My name is Mahathir bin Mohamad and I am a Malay and Muslim since birth and this is clear based on my identification card and evidence of my old and new birth certificate.
“My father’s name is Mohamad bin Iskandar and my mother is Wan Tempawan binti Wan Hanapi,” he said in a written witness statement filed in the hearing before High Court judicial commissioner Gan Techiong.
Dr Mahathir, who will be turning 99 this December, also asserted that:
- His father’s origin was from Penang
- His father was a Malay
- His paternal ancestor, however, has a bloodline traceable to Kerala in southern India
- His mother was from Kedah
- Both his parents were of genuine Malay lineage
Dr Mahathir said Zahid had on July 30, 2017 at the Kelana Jaya Umno’s division meeting made false and defamatory accusations against him, including mentioning “Mahathir anak lelaki Iskandar Kutty” and implying that he was his original name and that he had used the Malays.
In 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.
Dr Mahathir 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.
