SHAH ALAM (Oct 2): The High Court on Monday dismissed former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s discovery application against Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to show any evidence to support the prime minister's claims of nepotism and cronyism against Mahathir.

Judicial Commissioner Zaharah Hussain ruled that there are no direct allusions or references to the documents requested in Anwar’s amended defence as what was claimed happened in the past.

Furthermore, she ruled that Anwar can and ought to produce the documents to support his defences during the pre-trial case management stage.

In dismissing the application, Zaharah who held the proceedings online ordered the 98-year-old politician to pay RM2,000 in costs to Anwar.

This was confirmed for The Edge separately by Anwar’s lawyer Alliff Benjamin Suhaimi, who appeared with Phoebe Loi and Muhammad Rafique Rashid Ali, along with Akif Rusli who appeared for Mahathir.

Zaharah fixed Nov 3 for case management for the parties to inform the court if there are any interlocutory applications.

In July, Mahathir made a formal application against Anwar to show documents to support his claims of nepotism and cronyism against the former prime minister.

Mahathir filed the RM150 million defamation suit against Anwar in May over claims that the prime minister, during a speech made during the PKR congress in March, said that “a leader of 22 years and 22 months” had enriched his own family.

Anwar, in his defence to Mahathir’s suit, claimed that the statement he made at the party congress was true.

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