PUTRAJAYA – Government spokesman Fahmi Fadzil today said the cabinet did not discuss the affidavit signed by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi confirming the existence of an addendum order for Datuk Seri Najib Razak to serve his remaining prison sentence under house arrest.
Fahmi, who is also communications minister, also evaded queries on Najib’s judicial review application seeking the implementation of the addendum order.
During a press conference here today, Fahmi was asked by the media whether the cabinet was aware of an alleged addendum order from the Yang di-Pertuan Agong allowing Najib’s home imprisonment.
In response, Fahmi, who is also communications minister, said that the matter “was not discussed” during the cabinet meeting earlier.
The minister reiterated his reply when pressed on whether the cabinet was aware of an affidavit signed by Zahid supporting the existence of the addendum order.
Two weeks ago, Fahmi responded in a similar manner when asked by the press whether the cabinet had discussed Najib’s legal challenge to compel the government and other respondents to verify the existence of the addendum order.
In his affidavit filed at the high court on April 9, Zahid claimed that during a meeting at his house in Country Heights, Kajang, Investment, Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Tengku Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz had informed him of the existence of the addendum order dated January 29.
Zahid also confirmed that the addendum order was genuine because it bore the royal seal and the signature of the former king.
He also claimed that a copy of the document was in the collective possession of the respondents named in Najib’s judicial review application, with the attorney-general retaining an original copy.
Earlier, Najib’s counsel Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah requested for today’s court proceedings to be held in chambers due to the sensitive nature of the affidavit submitted by a critical witness for the application.
When approached by the media later, Shafee insisted that the affidavit was not publicly accessible and cautioned against reporting on its alleged content.
However, a source has since told Scoop that there was no court order yet against the publication of the affidavit as Shafee had merely made an oral application before the court earlier today.
The source also pointed out that the document had been made available online via the court’s e-filing system prior to Shafee’s oral application.
Najib, 70, filed the judicial review application on April 1, alleging that there was an addendum order issued by the 16th Yang di-Pertuan Agong dated January 29 allowing the former Umno president to serve his remaining jail term under house arrest.
In the application, he named the home minister, the commissioner-general of prisons, the attorney-general, the Federal Territories Pardons Board, the government, the minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (law and institutional reform), as well as the director-general of the legal affairs division in the Prime Minister’s Department, as the defendants.
Najib, who is currently serving his sentence for corruption in the SRC International case, requested that the respondents confirm the addendum order exists – if so, to execute the order, provide original copies of it and discuss any necessary reliefs the court deems fit.
Najib’s prison sentence was halved by the Federal Territories Pardons Board at its meeting on January 29 from 12 years to six, and his fine was lowered from RM210 million to RM50 million. – April 17, 2024