Hearing on Najib's application to expunge Dr Mahathir's affidavit on June 21

Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak's application to expunge the affidavit pledged by Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad to support the application by former MCA president Tun Dr Ling Liong Sik to quash the defamation suit filed by the prime minister against him will be heard on June 21.

The prime minister filed the suit against Dr Ling on the allegation of issuing a slanderous statement against him which was published in an article in a news portal on Oct 3, last year.

High Court Judge Datuk Nor Bee Ariffin fixed the date in her chambers, attended by counsel Datuk Mohd Hafarizam Harun, representing Najib and lawyer Villie Nethi, representing Dr Ling.

Mohd Hafarizam, when met by reporters, said the court also fixed July 4 for the decision on Najib's application to expunge the affidavit by Dr Mahathir.

On Feb 15, Dr Mahathir, who was a former prime minister, filed an affidavit to support Dr Ling's application to quash Najib's suit on grounds that it was an abuse of the court process.

Meanwhile, Mohd Hafarizam said Dr Ling's appplication to quash the prime minister's suit would be heard on Aug 8 and the same date was also fixed to hear Najib's application to cancel several paragraphs in Dr Ling's statement of defence.

On Oct 27 last year, Najib sued Dr Ling as the defendant, among other things applying for an order that the former transport minister published a statement of apology in the press or magazine determined by Najib, in the format and terms determined by him.

Najib also applied for an injunction preventing Dr Ling or his employees or agents from continuing to make slanderous statements or any slanderous words against him.

He also applied for general damages, special damages, aggravated damages and examplary damages, costs and other reliefs deemed fit by the court.

In the statement of demand, Najib claimed that Dr Ling had falsely and maliciously issued a slanderous statement against him when attending a function at a university college here, which was published in an article in a news portal on Oct 3, 2015.

The prime minister said the slanderous words among others meant that he (Najib) had abused government funds into his personal account for personal interest, abused the funds of a government-owned investment company, 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) as well as being incompetent and unfit to be the leader of the government or Malaysia's prime minister.