3 April 2024
Ex-PM Najib Razak, who is currently in jail, is attempting to present a supposed document that reportedly bears the signature of the previous Malaysian king. If this document indeed exists, it would grant Najib the opportunity to complete the remaining years of his reduced six-year sentence under house arrest, rather than serving time in prison.
Muhammad Shafee Abdullah, the lead counsel for Najib, informed the High Court that a “crucial witness” would support Najib’s application for judicial review concerning the addendum.
The identity of the crucial witness, who will support Najib’s application for judicial review, has not been disclosed yet. According to Muhammad Shafee, this witness will file an affidavit after Hari Raya Aidilfitri to strengthen Najib‘s case.
Najib’s legal team claims that this addendum, which allows for house arrest as part of his reduced six-year sentence, was ordered by the previous Malaysian king and was attached to the commuted sentence he received on January 29th for corruption linked to the SRC International case. However, Najib alleges that both the federal government and the Federal Territories Pardons Board have concealed the existence of this addendum.
In his application, Najib claimed to have received “clear information” that the former king, Sultan Abdullah, had issued an order allowing him to serve his sentence under house arrest instead of in prison. He did not elaborate on how he obtained this information. Najib is seeking a mandamus order to compel several respondents, including the Home Minister, the commissioner-general of prisons, and the attorney-general, to provide the original version of the royal addendum, along with any related costs.
In an affidavit accompanying his application, Najib stated that he had informed both the previous king, Sultan Abdullah, and the current King of Malaysia, Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar, about his intention to file a notice of application for a judicial review regarding the royal addendum. This notice was sent via a letter dated 25th March.