SRC case: Najib to respond to prosecution's assertion on Nazlan

 

Najib Abdul Razak will file in court a counter-reply to the prosecution’s assertion that judge Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali’s previous bank job had nothing to do with the ex-premier’s RM42 million SRC International corruption case.

Deputy public prosecutor (DPP) Mohd Ashrof Adrin Kamarul confirmed that the Federal Court this afternoon gave directions for Najib’s legal team to file the affidavit in reply by July 14.

The prosecutor earlier today was attending the apex court case management of Najib’s application to nullify his conviction in the SRC graft case.

The former finance minister sought the nullification due to an alleged conflict of interest in having Nazlan as the trial judge. Nazlan has since been elevated to the Court of Appeal.

Judge’s previous job ‘irrelevant’

Yesterday, the prosecution filed an affidavit in objection against Najib’s application, contending that Nazlan’s previous role as general counsel with Maybank has no relevance to the case of the RM42 million of SRC funds that allegedly went into the ex-premier’s account.

Ashrof explained that the court also directed the prosecution to file any further reply by July 21 and any additional reply by Najib by July 28.

“The case is fixed for next case management on July 29 at 3pm,” Ashrof said.

Besides Ashrof, DPP V Sithambaram also represented the prosecution. Defence counsel Muhammad Shafee Abdullah acted for Najib.

The Federal Court has set 10 days in August to hear Najib’s final SRC appeal to quash his guilty verdict over seven charges of abuse of power, criminal breach of trust and money laundering as well as a sentence of 12 years in jail and RM210 million fine.

On July 28, 2020, then High Court judge Nazlan had convicted Najib on one count of abuse of position as the then premier, three counts of criminal breach of trust and three counts of money laundering involving RM42 million of funds from SRC.

The judge then sentenced the accused to 12 years in jail and RM210 million fine.

However, the lower court allowed Najib’s application for a stay of execution of the sentences pending disposal of the appeal.

On Dec 8 last year, the Court of Appeal dismissed Najib’s appeal to overturn the lower court’s decision. - Mkini

Govt working to reduce impact of rising cost of living - minister

 

The government’s move to set a ceiling price for chicken and eggs is to enable the people to purchase the essential food items below the actual price, thus reducing the impact of the rising cost of living on them, said Agriculture and Food Industries Minister Ronald Kiandee.

He said Malaysia was not spared from the rising cost of living due to the increase in input prices and inflation but stressed that the government was committed to taking various measures to ensure that the people were not burdened.

Ronald (above) added that chicken was one of the food components that were directly subsidised by the government after taking into account various aspects, including the interests of the industry.

“The Malaysian government is a responsible government that wants to ensure that it can minimise the impact of the increase in food costs on the people.

“That is why we are taking various measures and actions including subsidising the price of some types of food so that the people can buy them at prices below the actual level,” he told Bernama after officiating at the ministry’s Sports and Welfare Club annual general meeting in Putrajaya today.

On June 29, the cabinet announced that the new ceiling price for standard chicken was fixed at RM9.40 per kg, while the retail ceiling price of grade A chicken eggs was set at 45 sen each, grade B eggs at 43 sen each and grade C eggs at 41 sen each in Peninsular Malaysia, effective July 1.

Ronald said the difference between the selling price and the actual price of the two food items was covered by the government through a subsidy of over RM360 million.

“That is a step taken to reduce the impact of the rising cost of living that the people are experiencing,” he said.

Food security

Meanwhile, in his speech, Ronald said the Food Security Committee, which would be formed through the cooperation of the federal and state governments, would be a catalyst for more efficient and sustainable resource management.

“The empowerment of the agro-food sector will be implemented through increased productivity, strengthening of support systems and services as well as efficient and sustainable resource management,” he said.

On Tuesday, Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob said that Food Security Committees will be set up at the state and district levels to ensure the federal and state governments can implement the National Food Security Policy Action Plan 2021-2025 in a synergistic manner.

- Bernama

May 13 bloodletting, Bersih different kettle of fish - Ambiga

 

Equating a racial clash which claimed scores of lives with a gathering pressing for free and fair elections is egregious, according to those who disagree with Johor ruler Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar.

For Ambiga Sreenevasan, the distinction between the two is obvious or in her own words, “a different kettle of fish altogether”.

“Rioting is a criminal offence. A peaceful assembly is not.

“Malaysians have matured and well appreciate that their rights extend only to assemblies, protests and gatherings that are peaceful,” she told Malaysiakini.

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Ambiga was the former chairperson of the electoral reform group Bersih, whose mammoth street rallies rattled the political elites and led to the implementation of several measures such as the use of indelible ink during the voting process.

The initial rallies, however, were marred by sporadic incidents of violence which the organisers claimed resulted from the police’s unwarranted actions.

Last week, Sultan Ibrahim, in denouncing a DAP leader’s call for street protests over price hikes, recalled May 13, 1969, racial clashes and Bersih rallies.

Urging the people to learn from the past, the monarch argued that these “riots” achieved nothing other than chaos and destruction.

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Right to peaceful assembly

Meanwhile, Ambiga noted that the right to peaceful assembly is recognised internationally and protected in Malaysia under the Federal Constitution as a fundamental right.

“So important is this right that the United Nations has established the mandate of a special rapporteur on the rights of peaceful assembly. Malaysia has passed the Peaceful Assembly Act in 2012 that recognises this right.

“Malaysia sits on the UN Human Rights Council now for the third time and must understand and value this right or we will lose our moral authority to remain on the Human Rights Council,” she added.

Eventually, Ambiga, who is also the former Malaysian Bar president, said the police realised this and facilitated the subsequent Bersih protests.

However, she criticised the police for thwarting the planned march by lawyers to safeguard the independence of the judiciary following MACC’s investigation into judge Mohd Nazlan Ghazali, who convicted former premier Najib Abdul Razak in the SRC International case.

“Shame on the police because they are well able to facilitate such assemblies effectively and instead chose to encircle the lawyers refusing to allow us to walk. What a disgrace for a country that is a member of the Human Rights Council,” she added.

Between elections, Ambiga said, people are only able to communicate their grievances to the government through the exercise of their freedom of speech and/or assembly.

“A curtailing or unreasonably restricting such a right breaches all human rights norms and merely increases the anger and frustration of the people,” she added.

New Suhakam commissioners

On a separate matter, Ambiga agreed with former Suhakam commissioner Mah Weng Kwai who urged the appointment of new commissioners to be expedited.

“We have had some excellent commissioners in the past who have issued solid rulings and it is hoped that the new commissioners will live up to the standards set by previous commissioners.

“Of course, it is anticipated that the new appointees will have the basic knowledge of human rights as well as the relevant international instruments.

“Ultimately they must have respect for human rights and have the hearts and minds for the job,” she added.