The High Court here has set Sept 19 to hear former prime minister Najib Razak‘s application to present new evidence in his judicial review seeking the enforcement of a royal addendum allowing him to serve the remainder of his sentence under house arrest.
The evidence in question is a letter dated Jan 4 from the comptroller of the Sultan of Pahang’s royal household to Najib’s son, Nizar, allegedly confirming the existence of the addendum.
High Court judge Justice Loke Yee Ching fixed the date during case management this morning.
Loke also set the same date to hear the government’s application for a gag order to prevent the public discussion of matters related to the judicial review.
Senior counsel Shafee Abdullah represented Najib while senior federal counsel Nurhafizza Azizan appeared for the government.
Lawyer Azhar Azizan Harun, a former Dewan Rakyat speaker, appeared in a watching brief for MPs Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar, Hamzah Zainudin, and Ronald Kiandee.
The proceedings relate to the addendum allegedly decreed by the 16th Yang di-Pertuan Agong allowing Najib to serve the remainder of his prison sentence under house arrest.
On Aug 13, the Federal Court upheld the majority decision of the Court of Appeal, which allowed Najib to adduce additional evidence, and directed the High Court to hear his judicial review application.
Najib was convicted of misappropriating RM42 million in SRC International Sdn Bhd funds and has been serving his sentence at Kajang prison since Aug 23, 2022.
He filed a petition for a royal pardon on Sept 2, 2022.
The Federal Territories Pardons Board later reduced his prison term from 12 years to six and halved his fine from RM210 million to RM50 million.
