SHAH ALAM: The judicial commissioner presiding over the RM150 million defamation suit initiated by Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad against Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has recused himself from the case.
Dr Mahathir's lawyer Muhammad Rafique Rashid Ali confirmed so when contacted after today's case management.
He said Anwar's lawyers, Matthew Thomas Phillip and Phoebe Looi, had made the application for the recusal on account that the commissioner, Jamhirah Ali, has family relations with Alliff Benjamin Aliff Suhaimi, who is Anwar's lead counsel in the suit.
Rafique also confirmed that he had been instructed not to object to the application and that Jamhirah ruled that the withdrawal would serve the interests of justice as well as to avoid conflict.
Dr Mahathir's lawyer also confirmed that the court has fixed July 21 for case management.
The former prime minister filed a RM150 million defamation suit against Anwar in May, where he claimed that the latter had defamed him by accusing him of being racist and enriching himself and his family members during his 22-year tenure as prime minister.
Anwar, in his statement of defence filed in June, said the lawsuit filed against him was aimed at undermining his and the government's credibility, and to create racial divide in view of the upcoming state elections.
Dr Mahathir, in his reply to Anwar's defence that was filed at the Shah Alam High Court yesterday via his counsel, said that Anwar had refused to show any evidence to back his claims against despite Dr Mahathir having officially requested so via court application.