Najib issues show cause to Kit Siang, Malay Mail for statement over SRC trial

Former prime minister Najib Razak says Lim Kit Siang’s statement contained a form of threat that ‘global kleptocracy’ will make a comeback in Malaysia if the court did not find him guilty.

KUALA LUMPUR: Najib Razak has filed an application to issue a show cause letter to DAP supremo Lim Kit Siang for commenting on his SRC trial two days before the High Court decided whether he should enter his defence.

Also included in the application is news portal Malay Mail Online and its reporter, Emmanuel Santa Maria Chin.

The ex-parte application, made under Order 52 Rule 2B of the High Court Rules, was filed on Nov 11.

Ramkarpal Singh is appearing for Lim, who is Iskandar Puteri MP, while Malay Mail has engaged Ambiga Sreenevasan.

The news portal had processed Lim’s press statement titled “Kit Siang: High Court decision on Najib and Tanjung Piai by-election outcome will indicate where Malaysia headed towards” on Nov 9.

In his affidavit in support of the application, Najib said his political rivals, who were now in government, have commenced a politically-charged campaign against him and others in the previous administration.

Najib said he believed Lim’s “contemptuous” statement was created to put pressure on the trial court in deciding the case.

He said the report also appeared to be a threat and interfered in the course of justice.

Najib said the article contained a form of threat, and intimidation, to the court that “global kleptocracy” would make a comeback in Malaysia if the court did not find him guilty.

“When the article is read as a whole, it amounts to serious contempt of court and is also an unwarranted attack on the judiciary,” he said.

Today, Najib’s lawyer Muhammad Shafee Abdullah met judge Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali in chambers to get direction.

“We are going to appear before the judge on a date yet to be fixed because he wants court papers to be tweaked a bit,” he told reporters.

Najib is facing six charges of money laundering and criminal breach of trust in the transfer of RM42 million to his account from SRC International.

He is also accused of abusing his power as prime minister by giving government guarantees on SRC International’s RM4 billion loan from Retirement Fund Inc.

On Nov 11, Nazlan ordered Najib to enter his defence on the seven charges as he found that the prosecution had established a prima facie case against the accused.

Hearing is scheduled to resume on Tuesday, with Najib to take the witness stand. - FMT