KUALA LUMPUR (Dec 10): Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim Anwar on Tuesday declined to comment on a purported royal addendum decreeing house arrest for jailed Datuk Seri Najib Razak.
However, a fresh proposal has been submitted to Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Ibrahim, suggesting that the matter be referred to the Pardons Board for deliberation, Anwar disclosed during the prime ministerial question time in the Dewan Rakyat.
"As this issue continues to surface, I proposed to the current Yang di-Pertuan Agong that, at an appropriate time, the matter be referred to the Pardons Board, which the Agong will chair," Anwar said.
WATCH: PM skirts query on addendum for Najib
Anwar was responding to a query from Datuk Seri Sheikh Mohmed Puzi Sheikh Ali (BN-Pekan), who asked whether the prime minister planned to meet the Pahang Sultan, Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri'ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah — the former Agong alleged to have issued the addendum — to resolve the matter.
Najib, who has been found guilty and sentenced since 2022, has continued to insist through his lawyers that there is a royal addendum issued by the former King allowing him to serve the remainder of his sentence under house arrest.
The former PM has turned to the court to compel the government to produce the document. The Court of Appeal has now set Jan 6, 2025, to hear his appeal for judicial review, after his initial attempt was dismissed by the High Court earlier in October this year.
On Tuesday, Anwar said that parliamentary regulations prevented him from commenting further on the alleged royal addendum, as it is the subject of ongoing court proceedings.
Nonetheless, he said that the purported addendum was not raised during the Federal Territories Pardons Board meeting on Dec 8, 2023, chaired by the former Agong, where he participated and submitted Najib's royal pardon application for consideration.
"In principle, while we may agree or disagree with the court's decision or someone's right to appeal, we cannot deny anyone the right to be heard before the Pardons Board," Anwar said.
Anwar also stressed that his involvement was limited to the meeting on Dec 8, while the subsequent meeting on Jan 29, 2024, was attended by Federal Territories Minister Dr Zaliha Mustafa, one of the five members on the Pardons Board.
Najib is currently serving an already reduced six-year jail term and RM50 million fine after being found guilty of seven charges, comprising abuse of power, criminal breach of trust, and money laundering involving SRC International Sdn Bhd, a former subsidiary of 1Malaysia Development Bhd.
The original punishment was for 12 years in jail and a RM210 million fine before a partial royal pardon in March by the previous King.
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