The High Court has given former MCA president Tun Dr Ling Liong Sik an extension of time to file his statement of defence in a suit by Datuk Seri Najib Razak over his defamatory statements against the Prime Minister.

Ling's lawyer Gregory Ling told reporters that the court has given Ling until Dec 15 to file his defence statement and Najib has to reply by Dec 29.

He said both parties had agreed on the extension of time and Judge Datuk John Louis O'Hara had fixed Jan 11 for case management.

Lawyer Nor Emelia Mohd Iszeham representing Najib said the last day for Ling to file his statement of defence will expire tomorrow and today the court had given him extension of time.

On Oct 27, Najib had sued Ling and among others, sought an order for Ling to issue a written apology to be published in newspapers or magazines to be identified by Najib, in a form and terms determined by the plaintiff (Najib).

In his statement of claim, Najib also sought an injunction to restrain Ling, or through his servants or agents, from further speaking or publishing any defamatory article or any similar words defamatory to him.

He also sought general, special, aggravated and exemplary damages, costs and other relief deemed fit by the court.

Najib said Ling had falsely and maliciously made slanderous statements against him while attending a ceremony at a university college here that were published in a news portal on Oct 3 via an article.

The prime minister claimed that the defendant had uttered the defamatory words with malicious intention to put the plaintiff in the position of public scandal, contempt and odium.

Najib said the plain and ordinary meaning of the words published in the article were understood to mean, among others, that he had misappropriated public funds into his personal account, that he had misused the funds for his personal interest, and he had misused the funds to gain wealth and profits for his personal gain and interests.

Najib claimed that the defamatory words were baseless allegations and without any basis or proof.