ZAHID: I SAW NAJIB HOUSE ARREST ORDER
He alleges Tengku Zafrul showed him addendum order from former king
DEPUTY Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamdi has confirmed that there was an addendum order from the former Yang di-Pertuan Agong allowing former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak to serve the remainder of his sentence under house arrest.
He claimed that Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz, who is international trade and industry minister and former Selangor Umno treasurer, showed him the document at the latter’s house on Jan 30.
Zahid, who is Umno president and rural and regional development minister, said this in his supporting affidavit dated April 9 in Najib’s judicial review application to compel the government to produce the document.
He said Tengku Zafrul photographed or scanned the original addendum order that former Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah showed him.
“The contents of the addendum order expressly stated that the applicant (Najib) be allowed to serve the reduced sentence of his imprisonment under the condition of house arrest, instead of prison confinement at Kajang Prison.
“I further sighted that the addendum order is dated Jan 29 and bears the seal and signature of His Majesty Seri Paduka Baginda Yang di-Pertuan Agong XVI.
“I further confirm that the addendum order is genuine and in fact is the royal prerogative order as the main order.
“I verily believe that for the sufficient period of time I sighted and read the addendum order, and I clearly saw the entire contents and that it forms part of the pardon process.
“Thus, I hereby confirm the existence of the addendum order dated Jan 29 issued by the former king,” he said in the affidavit, which is publicly accessible on the judiciary website.
Zahid said he did not have a copy of the addendum order, but others, like the attorney-general and Pahang Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Wan Rosdy Wan Ismail, had sighted the document.
Earlier, Najib’s counsel, Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah, asked the court to disallow the public from hearing the application due to “several sensitive materials” in the case.
Senior federal counsel Shamsul Bolhassan and Ahmad Hanir Hambaly did not object to the request.
Judge Datuk Amarjeet Singh allowed Shafee’s application and set June 5 to deliver the verdict.
Outside the court, Shafee said he could not name the person attesting the affidavit. He claimed the affidavit had been sealed by the court and could not be accessed by the public..
However, a deputy court registrar told the New Straits Times that the court did not issue any seal order for the affidavit.
On Jan 29, Najib filed an application to compel the government to produce the document.
He named the home minister, Prisons Department commissioner-general, attorney-general, Federal Territories Pardons Board, minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform), Legal Affairs Division director-general and the government as respondents.
Najib said he told his solicitors to confirm the details of the addendum order with the attorneygeneral in a letter dated Feb 14.
The letter was also sent to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and Zahid.
The existence of the addendum order and its non-enforcement were raised with the home minister on March 22.
Najib claimed his lawyers had requested the original or a copy of the order from Kajang Prison, but had yet to get a response.
He claimed the inaction by the home minister and Prisons Department commissioner-general to execute the order was irrational, unreasonable, illegal and arbitrary and offended the Federal Constitution and laws.
Najib is serving a 12-year jail term after he was found guilty of abuse of power and criminal breach of trust involving RM42 million from SRC International, a former 1Malaysia Development Bhd subsidiary. He was also fined RM210 million.