Respect court ruling on Najib’s house arrest, appeal still available, says Reezal

The Bertam assemblyman says reactions to the court's decision reflect one's political maturity and values.

Umno’s Reezal Merican Naina Merican said that while the verdict might be difficult for some to accept, legal avenues remained open for the decision to be challenged through the proper channels. (Bernama pic)

PETALING JAYA:

 The High Court’s decision to dismiss Najib Razak’s bid for house arrest should be respected, says Bertam assemblyman Reezal Merican Naina Merican, adding that the former prime minister can still appeal.

Reezal said in a Facebook post that the ruling, while difficult for some to accept, “should be respected as a manifestation of the rule of law that underpins a functioning democratic state”.

“Legal avenues remain available for the decision to be challenged and contested through the proper channels,” he said.

Reezal, who was a former deputy foreign minister during Najib’s administration, said reactions to the court ruling reflected one’s political maturity and values.

He said that a country is “not built solely on rules and laws, but on civility, empathy, and historical consciousness”, and highlighted the difference between defending institutional integrity and celebrating an individual’s downfall.

“Not everything lawful warrants jubilation, and not every decision needs excessive delight devoid of restraint, particularly in a complex and uncertain political climate,” Reezal said.

His remarks came amid heightened tensions between Umno and DAP following the ruling.

DAP’s Puchong MP Yeo Bee Yin was criticised by leaders across Umno, PKR, and DAP after posting on Facebook that the court’s decision was “another reason to celebrate this year-end”.

The Kuala Lumpur High Court on Monday dismissed Najib’s bid to serve his reduced six-year jail term for his SRC International Sdn Bhd conviction under house arrest, stating that it could not be implemented as there were no legal mechanisms for it.

Najib’s lawyer Shafee Abdullah has since said that the former prime minister will appeal the court’s dismissal of his house arrest bid. - FMT