KUALA LUMPUR: The High Court today postponed to Sept 29 the hearing of former-MCA president Tun Dr Ling Liong Sik's bid to strike out Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak's defamation suit.
Najib's lead counsel Datuk Mohd Hafarizam Harun confirmed the outcome during the matter in the chambers of judge Datuk Nor Bee Ariffin today.
Hafarizam said the hearing was postponed as parties needed to file additional submissions.
Dr Ling's counsel Ranjit Singh confirmed the postponement.
Ranjit said among the points to be raised was that Najib's lawsuit ought to be struck out as he (Najib) was suing in his capacity as elected representative.
Ranjit said he would be relying on a Court of Appeal's ruling in an appeal by Malay daily publisher, Utusan Melayu (M) Bhd in relation to a suit by Pahang Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Adnan Yaakob.
The Court of Appeal had ruled that a public official must be open to public criticism and thus has no right to sue the media for defamation in his official capacity.
Najib filed the defamation suit on Oct 27 last year, over Dr Ling's allegation that the former had "taken the people's money" in relation to the RM2.6 billion donation linked to 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB).
Dr Ling was alleged to have uttered the statement during a ceremony at a college here.
Meanwhile, on a separate matter involving former minister in the prime minister's department Datuk Zaid Ibrahim's lawsuit against Najib and three others, Hafarizam said he was appointed to act for Najib yesterday.
The lawsuit was launched against Najib and the three defendants - 1MDB, the Malaysian government, and his stepson Riza Shariz Abdul Aziz - to recover the RM2.6 billion and RM42 million said to have been banked into Najib's account.