KUALA LUMPUR: At 99 years old, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad demonstrated his strength and resilience as he withstood hours of intense questioning by a lawyer in the courtroom today.

The former prime minister even refused a brief respite, insisting on continuing his testimony when lawyer Mohamed Shahrul Fazli Kamarulzaman requested a short break from the court.

"We can continue," Dr Mahathir said calmly before High Court judicial commissioner Gan Techiong.

The senior statesman occasionally drew laughter in court for the way he answered questions with his candid and humorous responses.

Dr Mahathir is testifying as a witness in his defamation suit against Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi for the latter's remarks in 2017 alleging Dr Mahathir's real name was Mahathir a/l Iskandar Kutty.

Shahrul, who appeared for the deputy prime minister, bombarded Dr Mahathir with questions, which the latter answered with remarkable calmness.

Shahrul: You have 10 siblings... who is still alive?

Dr Mahathir: I am. I am still alive.

Despite his seemingly nonchalant demeanour, the former Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia chairman occasionally became stern when addressing questions about Zahid's disputed statement.

Dr Mahathir emphasised that he was not embarrassed about being linked to Indian ancestry and was focused solely on Zahid's remarks referring to him as 'Mahathir a/l Iskandar Kutty'.

Yesterday, Dr Mahathir told the court that his late father, Mohamad bin Iskandar, was from Penang and was a Malay, with ancestors who had roots in the southern Indian state of Kerala.

"When I was prime minister, when I went to Pakistan, they said I was Pakistani; when I went to Bangladesh, they said I was Bangladeshi; when I went to Sri Lanka, they said I was Sri Lankan.

"That is their belief and what they think, but it's not true. My father was born and registered as a Malay from Malaysia.

"I'm not ashamed to say I have Indian heritage, but that does not mean I am not Malay," he said, adding that he was unaware of his grandfather's or great-grandfather's birthline as this was never seriously discussed within his family.

"The suit is not questioning whether Mahathir and Iskandar are Muslim names but rather addressing the accusation of deception related to my real name."

On July 20, 2022, Dr Mahathir filed the suit, naming Zahid, who is also the Umno president, as the defendant.

His suit states that the plaintiff genuinely believes that the defendant's reference in the alleged defamatory statement to "that person", "he", and "Mahathir, the son of Iskandar Kutty", explicitly refers to him.

He said his status as a statesman and an influential political figure in the eyes of the world was also skewed as a result.

The statement makes out Dr Mahathir to be a liar, untrustworthy, selfish, unethical while holding public office and unfit to be a leader or public figure, he said.

https://www.nst.com.my/news/crime-courts/2024/08/1097419/dr-m-99-captivates-courtroom-strength-and-sharp-wit