Azalina stands firm against AGC’s gag order on addendum issue

 

Law and institutional reform minister Azalina Othman Said said she was against the gag order as the addendum issue was already public knowledge. (Bernama pic)

PETALING JAYA: 

Law and institutional reform minister Azalina Othman Said has maintained her stance against an application by the Attorney-General’s Chambers for a gag order in the Najib Razak pardon addendum case.

She said her position remained unchanged. “The application for a gag order should not have been filed as the addendum has already become public knowledge,” she said in a statement today.

The statement came after she was reportedly praised by deputy prime minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi for coordinating efforts to seek a gag order over discussions on the addendum issue.

She said Zahid’s statement referred to Barisan Nasional’s stance on a gag order in the Dewan Rakyat to prevent MPs from discussing the addendum, in compliance with a standing order to avoid prejudicing the interests of parties in a court case.

Azalina said Zahid’s statement should be understood in that context, and not on the government’s position on the gag order in general.

The AGC’s application for a gag order was over a court case brought by Najib to compel the government to place him under house arrest for the remainder of his prison sentence. - FMT