KUALA LUMPUR (Feb 4): Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Johari Abdul has ruled that discussions regarding the royal addendum related to former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak's house arrest are prohibited in Parliament as the matter is currently pending in court.

Johari made the ruling after opposition leader Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainuddin accused certain parties of allegedly concealing the royal addendum, calling them "penderhaka" (traitors), which led to a heated exchange in the Dewan Rakyat.

“Since this matter falls under Standing Order 36(2) and is currently before the courts, and considering that the term 'derhaka' (treason) violates Standing Order 36(7), I will not allow further discussions on this issue. Move on to other matters. Anyone who raises this issue will face action,” Johari warned.

Johari also ruled that the term "derhaka" (treason) cannot be used in reference to the royal addendum during parliamentary proceedings.

Standing Order 36(2) of the Dewan Rakyat stipulates that members shall not refer to any matter that is sub judice (i.e. pending in court and not yet finally determined) if, in the Speaker's opinion, such reference may prejudice the interests of the parties thereto.

Meanwhile, Standing Order 36(7) prohibits members from using the name of the Seri Paduka Baginda Yang di-Pertuan Agong, or any of the Rulers, or of any of their Excellencies the Yang di-Pertua-Yang diPertua Negeri to influence the House.

Earlier, Hamzah questioned whether withholding the addendum amounted to disrespect towards the Yang di-Pertuan Agong and the nation.

“This is the key issue. If this is true, it would mean the current government is defying the royal decree,” Hamzah argued while debating the King’s royal address on Tuesday.

“When the court decides that the addendum exists, it means the addendum has been hidden for a year. This is the truth — a fact, not fake news,” he added.

Hamzah then repeatedly raised the issue, which prompted government backbenchers to label his remarks as "sangkaan jahat" (malicious assumptions), claiming that the “derhaka” accusation was directed at Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

MPs, including Mohammed Taufiq Johari (PH-Sungai Petani), have urged Hamzah to retract his statement as there was no basis for labelling Anwar as disrespectful since the King made no statement indicating any disrespect.

On Jan 6, a three-member Court of Appeal bench allowed, in a 2-1 majority decision, Najib’s appeal for leave (permission) for his purported addendum application to be heard on its merits before a new judge, namely Hayatul Akmal Abdul Aziz.

This follows a separate decision by High Court judge Datuk Amarjeet Singh Serjit Singh, who in July last year refused to grant leave for the matter to be heard on its merits.

Najib, Malaysia's sixth prime minister, was jailed for 12 years and fined RM210 million since Aug 23, 2022 after the Federal Court upheld his conviction and sentence over seven counts of abuse of power, criminal breach of trust and money laundering of SRC International Sdn Bhd funds.

However, in February last year, the Pardons Board announced that Najib's jail sentence was halved to six years, and the fine was reduced to RM50 million, meaning that the former finance minister is liable to be released in August 2026.

Despite this, Najib claimed the existence of the purported addendum dated Jan 29, 2024, from the 16th Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri'ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah — who is Sultan of Pahang — allowing Najib to serve the remaining sentence under house arrest. Al-Sultan Abdullah's reign as the 16th Malaysian King ended on Jan 30, 2024.  

On Jan 20, the federal government, along with five other parties, has filed a prohibitory and gag order to prevent public discussions about the purported addendum, which allegedly seeks to allow Najib to serve the remainder of his six-year jail sentence under house arrest.

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Govt files application for a gag and prohibitory order on purported addendum for Najib's house arrest
Najib's addendum appeal allowed via majority decision, case reverted to High Court