KUALA LUMPUR: The High Court here yesterday postponed its decision on an application by former MCA president Tun Dr Ling Liong Sik to strike out a suit filed against him by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.
Lawyer Villie Nethi, representing Dr Ling, told this to reporters when after proceeding of the case, which was held in chambers before judge Datuk Nor Bee Ariffin.
According to Nethi, the High Court postponed its decision on Dr Ling’s application pending a decision by the Federal Court on two appeal cases pertaining to the issue of locus standi whether an individual holding public office could file a defamation suit in his/personal capacity.
She said the two appeals concerned cases involving Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng and Bandar Kuching Member of Parliament Chong Chieng Jen.
Meanwhile, Najib’s lawyer, Nik Alia Hanafi said the court set May 29 for case management of Najib’s suit against Dr Ling. Dr Ling filed the application on Feb 15 last year to strike out Najib’s suit on the grounds that the suit was an abuse of the court process and that it did not state a reasonable reason.
Najib filed the suit against Dr Ling on Oct 27, 2015, alleging that the former transport minister had made libellous remarks against him in an article carried on a news portal.
In his statement of claim, Najib claimed that Dr Ling had falsely and maliciously made the libellous statement at an event at a university college here that was carried in an article on the news portal on Oct 3, 2015.
On July 18 last year, the court allowed an application by Najib to set aside the affidavit of former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad that was filed in support of Dr Ling’s application to strike out the suit. — Bernama