AS incarcerated former premier Datuk Seri Najib Razak may just be a step away ‘to convert’ his remainder stay in the Kajang Prison to house arrest, the opposition has turned the table on the Madani government as to who the actual liar/traitor is.
This came about after the Court of Appeal today (Jan 6) allowed the 72 -year-old former 10-term Pekan MP’s appeal for leave to commence judicial review to compel the Home Minister and the government of the day to enforce the alleged decree by the previous Yang di-Pertuan Agong.
In a split 2-1 decision, the three-person appellate bench chaired by judge Datuk Azizah Nawawi ordered the matter be reverted to the Kuala Lumpur High Court for hearing of the merits of the judicial review.
Malaysiakini reported that Azizah delivered the dissenting ruling denying the appeal but the the majority ruling was made possible by fellow appellate member judges Datuk Azhahari Kamal Ramli and Datuk Seri Mohd Firuz Jaffril.
Following the favourable outcome, Najib is set to rely on his son Datuk Nizar Najib’s affidavit as well as an alleged letter from the Pahang palace confirming the existence of the royal addendum issued by Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah who was the previous Yang di-Pertuan Agong.
Moral victory
“Daulat Tuanku!” penned UMNO Youth chief Datuk Dr Muhamad Akmal Saleh in a Facebook post while attaching the said letter addressed to Nizar from comptroller of the Pahang Sultan’s royal household Datuk Ahmad Khirrizal Ab Rahman.
“It has finally been proven that everything mentioned by Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi (UMNO president), Datuk Seri Wan Rosdy Wan Ismail (Pahang Menteri Besar) and Datuk Nizar has been confirmed as true by His Highness Sultan of Pahang (Sultan Abdullah).”
Earlier, the Merlimau state assemblyman who had gone against his party’s directive to attend the “Solidarity with Najib” rally in conjunction with the appellant court’s hearing on his personal capacity has presumably ticked off his party colleagues for ‘chickening out’.
“The anak jantan (slang for “brave child”) came alone to be with the rakyat. Not sitting in a hotel while manipulating he rakyat.”
For context, UMNO had on late Friday (Jan 3) called off the rally at the eleventh hour to abide by the current Agong’s decree to use established legal channels to submit an appeal for Najib’s pardon.
Nevertheless, PAS which had earlier agreed to participate in the event alongside UMNO was adamant to forge ahead as a measure to respect the Agong’a authority despite such act being labelled as treason by detractors.
Buoyed by the moral victory, PAS Youth said it would ensure that a police report is filed to investigate “the mastermind behind the effort to hide the royal addendum”.
“Legal action must be taken immediately to ensure that the integrity of the government is not further tarnished and those responsible are punished accordingly,” its head honcho Afnan Hamimi Taib Azamuddin who is also the Alor Setar MP hit out in a media statement.
“In addition, PAS Youth will mobilise a large-scale gathering of young people as a clear signal that the rakyat, especially the younger generation, will not compromise with any form of betrayal of the royal institution and the people’s trust. Those involved in this betrayal must be brought to justice immediately.” – Jan 6, 2025
