KUALA LUMPUR (March 9): The High Court here had on Wednesday (March 9) allowed former health minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad (pictured) to amend his writ and statement of claim in a defamation suit he filed against ex-prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak following a change in solicitors representing Dr Dzulkefly.
Datuk Sankara Narayanan Nair, who is now the lawyer representing Dr Dzulkefly told theedgemarkets.com that following Nair's appointment as Dr Dzulkefly's lawyer, they applied to the High Court to amend the writ and statement of claim before High Court Judicial Commissioner Datuk Mohd Arief Emran Arifin.
It was reported that Dr 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 Dr Dzulkefly practised nepotism to ensure his daughter Nurul Iman's appointment as a board member of Amanah Ikhtiar Malaysia in 2019.
Dr Dzulkefly in his original statement of claim alleged that Najib's Facebook post on Aug 24, 2020 had defamed him.
Law firm Farida & Company had filed the original statement of claim on behalf of Dr Dzulkefly.
Nair, who is from law firm SN Nair and Partners, is now taking over the case from Farida & Company.
Nair said: “The court allowed the matter (writ and statement of claim amendment) and further directed the defendant (Najib) to file his defence latest by March 29 (2022)."
"The next case management is fixed on March 30 (2022),” Nair said.
It was reported that the first case management on the matter was held on Feb 3, 2022.
Representing Najib was lawyer Wan Mohammad Arfan Wan Othman from Shafee & Co while Nair and Jaden Phoon are representing Dr Dzulkefly.
Dr Dzulkefly had also filed a separate defamation suit against Umno Youth chief Datuk Dr Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki via a writ and statement of claim at the High Court here on Dec 31, 2021 over the same issue.
It was reported that Asyraf Wajdi had via a Twitter post dated Aug 24, 2020 at 1:13pm, commented on Dr Dzulkefly's alleged practice of nepotism to ensure his daughter Nurul Iman's appointment as a board member of Amanah Ikhtiar Malaysia in 2019.
It was also reported that the High Court here had on Feb 9, 2022 ordered Asyraf Wajdi to enter his defence by Feb 23, 2022 and that the High Court fixed Feb 28, 2022 for case management.
Nair told theedgemarkets.com that Asyraf Wajdi's lawyers from law firm Shahrul Hamidi & Haziq objected to Dr Dzulkefly's application to amend the original writ and statement of claim dated Dec 31, 2021 against Asyraf Wajdi.
According to Nair, the High Court directed Asyraf Wajdi's lawyers to file their affidavit by March 23, 2022 to oppose the application to amend the original writ and statement of claim.
Nair said lawyers representing Dr Dzulkefly are required to respond to the affidavit by April 6, 2022.
The next case management involving Dr Dzulkefly's lawsuit against Asyraf Wajdi is fixed on April 7, 2022, according to Nair.