KUALA LUMPUR – Putrajaya’s silence on a purported royal addendum order for former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak to serve his remaining jail sentence under house arrest is damaging the government’s image and integrity, opposition party PAS has said.
“It is a mess that has a big impact on the image and integrity of the government. PAS believes the government needs to take responsibility to explain the truth, in addition to taking the necessary steps to correct the situation,” PAS secretary-general Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan said in a statement.
Takiyuddin was commenting on the latest developments surrounding Najib’s bid for a judicial review to prove the existence of the addendum order and for the government to execute it.
Highlighting an affidavit filed by deputy prime minister and Umno president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi to support Najib’s bid, Takiyuddin said the attempt to file a “counter” affidavit by Investment, Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Tengku Zafrul raised concerns involving the honesty and transparency of the government, as both are members of the administration.
“The contradiction of ‘facts’ between the two ministers in the same government gives a very bad impression of the integrity and harmony of the government’s leadership,” Takiyuddin said.
He also said this “contradiction” raised concerns about the government’s attitude towards the orders of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, who according to Najib, approved the royal addendum order which has not been revealed to the public.
Zahid filed his affidavit with the Kuala Lumpur High Court on April 9, stating that Tengku Zafrul showed him a copy of the royal addendum order issued by the 16th Agong, dated January 29.
Tengku Zafrul, who said he would file his own affidavit to correct “certain factual errors” in Zahid’s document, was unable to do so yesterday as the court said he was not a party to Najib’s judicial review.
However, the court said he may file the affidavit later, if Najib obtains leave for his judicial review application.
Takiyuddin today said Zahid’s actions will “drag the government into a leadership and constitutional crisis,” especially since he claimed members of the administration knew about it.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim had also “worsened” the situation by refusing to speak on the royal addendum issue, Takiyuddin added, referring to Anwar’s remarks not to involve him in the matter.
Najib has named the home minister, the commissioner-general of the Prisons Department, 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 respondents in his judicial review.
His 12-year jail sentence for corruption in the SRC International case was halved, and RM210 million fine reduced to 50 million, in a decision by the Pardons Board on January 29.
This was announced on February 2, but the purported addendum order on his house arrest was not mentioned.
Najib’s leave application for judicial review to have the respondents prove the existence of the addendum order and implement it, will be heard in chambers on June 5. – May 3, 2024