Hearing on Najib's bid to attend Parliament postponed to Oct 19

 

Hearing of Najib Abdul Razak’s legal action to be allowed to attend Parliament has been postponed to Oct 19.

The Kuala Lumpur High Court this morning allowed the application by the government to adjourn today’s hearing.

Federal counsel M Kogilambigai informed that the three respondents - government, home minister, and Prison commissioner-general - needed time to peruse the written submissions filed by the former prime minister’s legal team.

The legal representative from the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) said that this is so that the respondents can prepare their own written submissions in response to the contentions by the Pekan MP.

Kogilambigai added that there is no sense of urgency anymore in the matter as Parliament was dissolved two days ago.

Judge Ahmad Kamal Md Shahid then rescheduled the hearing for Wednesday next week.

Lawyer Muhammad Shafee Abdullah acted for Najib.

On Oct 5, incarcerated former finance minister Najib filed the judicial review leave application to be allowed to participate in Dewan Rakyat proceedings.

The BN lawmaker is seeking a court order to have access to his parliamentary officers in order for him to do his work as an MP, and secondly, for him to attend Parliament.

Adversely affected

Via an affidavit in support of the legal action, Najib claimed that from Sept 19 onwards, he had been “adversely affected” by the respondents’ refusal to allow him access to his officers/aides for the purposes of parliamentary, legislative and constituent work.

Najib also alleged that he was adversely affected by the respondents who declined him to have “access and attendance in Parliament on the scheduled dates of session/sitting”.

Among the reliefs sought are declarations that he is entitled to attend Parliament on the scheduled session dates and to have reasonable access to his officers/aides for parliamentary, legislative and constituent work.

Najib also seeks an order of mandamus to compel the respondents to take necessary steps to allow him to partake in the Dewan Rakyat sessions and have reasonable access to his said officers/aides.

The lawmaker is currently serving a 12-year jail term in relation to the RM42 million SRC International corruption case.

Initially, a subsidiary of Malaysian sovereign wealth fund 1MDB, SRC became wholly owned by the Minister of Finance Incorporated (MOF Inc).

Najib also used to be chairperson of 1MDB’s board of advisors as well as advisor emeritus of SRC. - Mkini