KUALA LUMPUR: Kuala Terengganu MP Datuk Ahmad Amzad Hashim has to file a statement of defence in the defamation suit filed by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim at the Kuala Terengganu High Court by Feb 6.

The suit was filed by Anwar over allegations that he had lied about receiving only a symbolic salary of RM1 when he was appointed as Selangor economic adviser.

Lawyer Datuk S.N. Nair, who represented Anwar as the plaintiff, said the court set the date during online case management before Deputy Registrar Nordiana Abd Aziz yesterday.

"The court has set the next case management on Feb 6 to be held online in front of the same deputy registrar to update the defamation suit," he said via WhatsApp.

Anwar was also represented by lawyers Jaden Phoon Wai Ken and Wong Guo Jin while Saiffuddin Othman represented Ahmad Amzad as the defendant.

In the suit, Anwar, 75, claimed that on Dec 7, Ahmad Amzad made several statements to a group of patrons at a restaurant.

The Pakatan Harapan (PH) chairman is seeking an award of general damages and compensation as well as aggravated and exemplary damages in addition to requesting an injunction to prevent the defendant from continuing to publish or distribute similar defamatory statements.

-- BERNAMA