3-7-2024 (KUALA LUMPUR) The High Court in Kuala Lumpur has dismissed former prime minister Najib Razak’s application to initiate judicial review proceedings against the government. The move sought to compel the authorities to produce an alleged “supplementary decree” from the former Yang di-Pertuan Agong, which would purportedly allow Najib to serve the remainder of his prison sentence under house arrest.
Justice Amarjeet Singh, presiding over the case, held that there was no arguable case warranting a full hearing for the judicial review, effectively putting an end to Najib’s legal maneuver. Following the ruling, Najib’s counsel, Shafee Abdullah, informed the court of their intention to file an appeal against the decision.
The legal saga stems from earlier this year when the Federal Territories Pardons Board (FTPB) halved Najib’s 12-year prison sentence in the SRC International case to six years and reduced his fine from RM210 million to RM50 million. Najib is currently serving his sentence at the Kajang prison.
In his application filed on April 1, Najib claimed that the then Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Al-Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah, issued a supplementary decree during the FTPB’s meeting on January 29, a day before his term ended. According to Najib’s allegations, this addendum order purportedly stipulated that he should be placed under house arrest to serve the remainder of his sentence.
However, Najib alleged that the board failed to announce the supplementary decree on February 2, accusing the government of contempt for not executing the alleged order. His application sought to compel the government to produce the supplementary decree, if it indeed exists, and enforce his placement under house arrest.
The High Court’s dismissal of Najib’s application has dealt a significant blow to his efforts to secure a more lenient confinement arrangement. Justice Amarjeet Singh’s ruling effectively quashed Najib’s assertions regarding the existence of a supplementary decree, at least for the time being.
