In court, Najib’s lawyer submits unsigned supplementary order from Pahang palace affirming ‘house arrest’ decree as signed copy is shared online

 

In court, Najib’s lawyer submits unsigned supplementary order from Pahang palace affirming ‘house arrest’ decree as signed copy is shared online



Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s lawyer Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah speaks during a press conference at the Federal Court in Putrajaya on January 6, 2025. — Picture by Firdaus Latif

Monday, 06 Jan 2025 1:12 PM MYT


PUTRAJAYA, Jan 6 — Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s counsel today produced a purported letter said to be issued by the Pahang palace affirming the existence of a “supplementary order” from the previous Yang di-Pertuan Agong that would allow the convicted former prime minister to serve the remainder of his jail sentence under “house arrest”.

The letter, dated January 4, was submitted by lawyer Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah as part of Najib’s application at the Court of Appeal to adduce additional evidence to support his claim of the existence of such a supplementary order.


Muhammad Shafee told the court that the letter was issued by Comptroller of the Royal Household of the Sultan of Pahang Datuk Ahmad Khirrizal Ab Rahman, and was addressed to Najib’s son Datuk Muhammad Nizar.

Reading the content aloud in court, Muhammad Shafee said the letter dated January 29, 2024 thereby confirmed the “supplementary order” issued by Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah, who was the Agong then.


“With reference to the subject, the Sultan of Pahang Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah has decreed for Datuk Seri Najib Razak to undergo the remainder of his prison sentence under house arrest in accordance with the addendum order dated January 29, 2024.


“By this letter, I certify on behalf of His Majesty that the addendum of His Majesty exists and is valid,” the content reads.

Reading the content aloud in court, Muhammad Shafee said the letter thereby confirmed the “supplementary order” issued by Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah, who was the Agong then.

The Pahang Ruler was said to have decreed in his letter that he wished for Najib to serve the remainder of his prison sentence under house arrest.

A similar letter, bearing the same date is currently being shared on social media after Umno Youth chief Dr Akmal Saleh uploaded it onto his Facebook page.


Muhammad Shafee also sought the court’s permission to adduce additional evidence in the form of an unsigned ‘supplementary order’ issued by the Pahang Ruler on January 29.

This was included in an amended affidavit belonging to Muhammad Nizar which also chronicled his attempts at confirming and procuring the aforementioned “supplementary order” from the Pahang palace since last year.

In Muhammad Nizar’s affidavit, he said His Majesty had decided to provide him with an unsigned copy of the supplementary order under the Sultan’s personal safekeeping following a private meeting back in August 2024.

However, at the material time, the Sultan had not granted permission for the document to be used for any purposes up until last month where Nizar finally secured His Majesty’s permission to use it in Najib’s present appeal.

“We have to really crawl up the staircase in order to find this evidence which we did not have if the duty of candour had been deployed (by the respondents).

“Is it relevant? The answer is obviously yes.

“We cannot compel His Majesty to give an affidavit, that’s unheard of. That’s why we sought the Comptroller and he (His Majesty) was forced to come out of silence with this letter,” Muhammad Shafee said.

Najib is appealing the Kuala Lumpur High Court’s July 3 decision last year, which dismissed his application for leave to commence a judicial review of a purported addendum issued by the 16th Yang di-Pertuan Agong.

He claims the addendum would permit him to serve the remainder of his prison sentence under house arrest.

Najib is also seeking a mandamus order to compel the Malaysian government to provide a response and verify the existence of the purported additional decree.

Najib is currently serving a six-year prison sentence after being convicted of misappropriating RM42 million from SRC International Sdn Bhd.

The High Court had sentenced him to 12 years in prison with a fine of RM210 million and the verdict was subsequently upheld by the Court of Appeal and Federal Court.

However, his prison sentence was halved to six years and his fine was reduced to RM50 million following his petition for a royal pardon on September 2, 2022.