Najib Files Legal Bid Claiming Former Agong Wanted Him To Serve Jail Term At Home
"His Majesty's orders are not merely administrative decrees, but reflections of the legal and moral authority vested in the Monarchy," he claimed in his application.
By Sadho Ram — 03 Apr 2024, 04:43 PM
Jailed former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak has made a move to compel the government to produce what he claims to be a "supplementary order", allowing him to serve his sentence under house arrest
Najib, who is currently serving a reduced sentence related to the SRC International case, filed an application at the High Court for this purpose, reported the New Straits Times today, 3 April.
This application comes after the Federal Territories Pardons Board halved Najib's prison sentence from 12 years to six and reduced his fine by more than half.
However, Najib claimed that a "supplementary order", purportedly issued by former Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri'ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah, was not disclosed during the board's meeting.
In his affidavit, Najib claimed that on 29 January, the then Agong ordered his imprisonment to be reduced to six years and the fine reduced to RM50 million (main order). He added that the former Agong also issued an addendum order on the same day.
According to Najib, this "supplementary order" stipulates that he should be allowed to serve the reduced sentence under house arrest instead of Kajang Prison.
Najib alleged that his requests to confirm the existence of this "supplementary order" went unanswered by government officials, compelling him to file the application at the High Court
The application was filed through law firm Messrs Shafee & Co on 1 April, reported The Star.
He accused the government of contempt for not executing the order, if it indeed exists.
In his judicial review application, Najib has sought clarification and, if validated, implementation of the "supplementary order" to place him under house arrest.
He named the Home Minister, Prison Department commissioner general, Attorney-General (AG), Federal Territories Pardons Board, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Law and Institutional Reform), Legal Affairs Division director-general, and the government as respondents.
According to Najib, his lawyers had written to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail, and Law and Institutional Reform Minister Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said.
But the requests went unanswered, he claimed.
Justice Amarjeet Singh is scheduled to preside over the legal challenge tomorrow, 4 April.
