Datuk Seri Najib Razak arrives at the Kuala Lumpur High Court, October 3, 2022. The lawsuit named three respondents, namely the government of Malaysia, the home minister, and the commissioner-general of prison. — Picture by Yusof Mat Isa
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KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 5 — Imprisoned former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak has filed a court challenge today in a bid to be allowed to attend Dewan Rakyat sittings in Parliament as the Pekan MP, his lawyer confirmed today.
Najib’s lawyer Muhammad Farhan Muhammad Shafee confirmed to Malay Mail that his client’s application for judicial review was filed at the High Court in Kuala Lumpur this afternoon at around 1pm.
“Effectively it seeks for two things: For Datuk Seri Najib to have access to his parliamentary officers in order for him to do his work as an MP; and for him to attend parliament on the scheduled dates,” he told Malay Mail when contacted.
Muhammad Farhan confirmed that the scheduled Dewan Rakyat dates which Najib was seeking to attend are the dates from October 3 to November 29.
The lawsuit which was filed via a judicial review application has named three respondents, namely the government of Malaysia, the home minister, and the commissioner-general of prison.
While Najib remains the MP for Pekan after the Federal Court upheld his conviction over the misappropriation of RM42 million of SRC International Sdn Bhd’s funds, he has been serving his 12-year jail sentence as a prisoner since August 23. He is held in the Kajang Prison, but had also spent some days in the hospital previously before being discharged.
The full Dewan Rakyat schedule for the remaining meeting this year would be October 3 to 7, October 11 to 13, October 17 to 20, October 26 and 27, October 31 to November 3, November 7 to 10, November 14 to 17, November 21 to 24, and November 28 and 29.
This means there would be overlaps with Najib’s trial over the misappropriation of RM2.28 billion of 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) funds.
Najib’s 1MDB trial before High Court judge Datuk Collin Lawrence Sequerah is currently scheduled to be heard on October 3 to 6, October 11 to 13, November 7 to 10, November 14 to 17, November 21 to 24, December 5 to 8, December 12 to 15, before continuing in January and February next year.