Let Najib serve out his sentence under house arrest, Umno asks king
PETALING JAYA : Umno today asked the king to allow its former president, Najib Razak, to serve the remainder of his prison sentence under house arrest, following the attorney-general's confirmation of a royal addendum authorising such an arrangement.
In a statement, Umno secretary-general Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki said the party was grateful that the AG had confirmed the existence of the royal addendum.
'We plead with the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, who has absolute power as provided for by the Federal Constitution, to execute the order,' he said.
The Federal Court was told on July 9 that AG Dusuki Mokhtar had acknowledged the existence of the addendum.
Senior federal counsel Shamsul Bolhassan said Dusuki had confirmed the existence of the addendum on July 2, but that he was disputing its genuineness and validity.
Najib wants the government to implement the Jan 29, 2024 order in the addendum allowing him to serve the remainder of his jail sentence in the SRC International case under house arrest.
The former prime minister got wind of the addendum order soon after the Federal Territories Pardons Board announced in early February last year that his 12-year jail term was halved and the RM210 million fine reduced to RM50 million.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Free Malaysia Today
4 hours ago
- Free Malaysia Today
PAS leaders may have broken laws with cow, bull analogy, says minister
Law and institutional reform minister Azalina Othman Said said the PAS leaders may have breached several provisions in the Penal Code with their remarks. PETALING JAYA : Law and institutional reform minister Azalina Othman Said said PAS leaders may have broken several laws by comparing women leaders to animals and citing the Quran in defending the analogy. In a post on X, Azalina said the PAS leaders may have breached several provisions, namely Sections 509, 504 and 298A of the Penal Code. The three sections deal with insulting the modesty of a person, intentional insult to provoke a breach of the peace, and actions that cause disharmony, respectively. She did not name the leaders, but uploaded two articles which identified Maran PAS Youth information chief Salman Al Farisi and party deputy president Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man. 'To whom it may concern: if you are still comparing women leaders to animals in 2025, congrats! 'Do better, or lawyer up,' she said, in an apparent sarcastic jab at Salman and Tuan Ibrahim, who had defended the youth leader. Azalina also said those who incorporated religion into their argument could be committing an offence under Section 507B of the Penal Code that deals with insulting words. On Monday, Malaysiakini reported Salman as comparing men to bulls, and women to cows when emphasising the importance of men in leadership roles, based on his experience in livestock farming. Salman had claimed that a cow would usually lead the herd, while bulls serve to protect the herd. He said society should, therefore, avoid elevating women to leadership positions, and that men should assume leadership roles in accordance with Quranic teachings. Earlier today, Tuan Ibrahim defended Salman, saying such analogies were used in literary works and not meant to degrade women. 'In Islamic literature in the past, there are works such as 'Kalilah wa Dimnah', which are filled with analogies and stories about animals, used to convey teachings and moral values,' he was quoted as saying. He said he saw nothing sexist about Salman's remark.
New Straits Times
5 hours ago
- New Straits Times
Singapore court reserves judgement on Pannir Selvam's post-appeal application
SINGAPORE: Malaysian death-row inmate Pannir Selvam Pranthaman gained reprieve when the Singapore Court of Appeal reserved its judgment, following the second hearing on his post-appeal application held on Wednesday. The Singapore Ministry of Home Affairs' (MHA) policy on the scheduling of executions came under scrutiny during the proceedings, as Pannir Selvam's counsel and the Attorney-General's Chambers addressed the content of affidavits they submitted after the first hearing on May 7. At the initial hearing, the court observed that Pannir Selvam's request for a stay of execution, pending the conclusion of disciplinary proceedings arising from his complaint to the Law Society, rested fundamentally on the principle that the MHA's policy on execution scheduling must be applied equally to all. His lawyers argued that the MHA policy applied to him differs from an earlier policy, thereby violating his right to equal treatment under Article 12 of the Constitution. On this, Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon, who led the five-man bench, stated that Article 12 does not prohibit a state agency from changing its policy. "Article 12 applies by looking at the current legislation, the current statute, or the current policy, and asking yourself whether that policy is being applied in a way that is unfairly discriminatory," he said. Pannir Selvam's counsel further argued that the MHA had not provided an explanation for the differing application of its policy between state and non-state proceedings. In their submission, his counsel team argued that the MHA's approach to preserving a prisoner's life had changed. Previously, executions could be delayed if a prisoner's testimony was needed in any legal case. Now, the MHA says delays are only considered if the testimony is needed in a state-led case. "There have been no reasons provided by the MHA as to why this differential treatment between a state and a non-state proceeding is reasonable," said counsel Ng Yuan Siang. In response, Deputy Senior State Counsel Terrence Chua said the distinction exists because state-brought proceedings are, by definition, in the public interest. "It goes beyond the interest of an individual PACP (prisoner awaiting capital punishment), whereas the PACP cannot claim to represent public interest in their private applications. "But even then, I pointed out in my affidavit that state-brought applications are still assessed on a case-by-case basis," he said. The court responded by saying that if the applicant can show that the policy can give rise to an unfair distinction between two categories of persons between whom there is no rational difference, he may be entitled to a finding that the policy offends Article 12. The proceedings, which lasted over an hour, ended with Chief Justice Menon stating that the Court would reserve its judgment. Seated in the dock wearing a purple-coloured prison uniform, Pannir Selvam appeared calm throughout the proceedings in a packed courtroom, which was also attended by his siblings who had arrived from Malaysia earlier in the day. The hearing marks the latest chapter in Pannir Selvam's ongoing legal battle against his death sentence. He was convicted by the High Court on May 2, 2017, for importing not less than 51.84g of diamorphine into Singapore and was sentenced to the mandatory death penalty. Pannir Selvam filed an appeal, but it was dismissed by the Court of Appeal on Feb 9, 2018. Together with his family and legal team, he submitted petitions for clemency to the President of Singapore, who subsequently declined to commute the sentence. Pannir Selvam and his family were informed that he would be executed on May 24, 2019. He then filed another application to the Court of Appeal, seeking a stay of execution on the grounds that he intended to challenge both the rejection of his clemency petition and the Public Prosecutor's decision not to issue a Certificate of Substantial Assistance (CSA). The court granted this application on May 23, 2019. Following this, he filed several other judicial review applications. Pannir Selvam received another notice of execution on Feb 16, 2025, for a scheduled execution on Feb 20. He then filed for permission to make a Post-Appeal Application in a Capital Case (PACC), seeking a stay of execution, which was granted on Feb 19. Judge of the Appellate Division Woo Bih Li, in his written judgment, stated that the stay was granted pending the determination of his PACC application. Singapore's PACC Act, which came into effect on June 28, 2024, allows prisoners awaiting capital punishment to make post-appeal applications, which can only be heard by the Court of Appeal. – Bernama
Free Malaysia Today
6 hours ago
- Free Malaysia Today
I can't erase my history, but I vow to protect judicial independence, says new CJ
Wan Ahmad Farid Wan Salleh is Malaysia's 11th chief justice. PUTRAJAYA : Newly appointed Chief Justice Wan Ahmad Farid Wan Salleh has pledged to defend the independence of the judiciary, despite his past in politics. Wan Farid acknowledged his unique background, having served in all three branches of government. 'I cannot erase my history, political or otherwise. Nor do I want to. That is who I am,' he said in his maiden speech to members of the legal fraternity today. 'But as I assume this role and for as long as I occupy this chair, I give my unconditional pledge that I will vigorously protect and relentlessly safeguard the independence of this branch with every fibre of my being,' he said. Wan Farid, a former Umno member who previously served as a deputy minister and a senator, said the judiciary must remain a reliable avenue of recourse for both the public and the government. 'We (judges) should not fail them. In any decision (made by the courts), it is impossible to please everyone. This is something we expect,' he said. 'In whatever decision we make, we must ensure that the losing party walks out of our courtrooms feeling satisfied that they were given the right to be heard, to present their evidence and be given their day,' he said. Backlogs of cases will be resolved Wan Farid also said the judiciary will work towards resolving the courts' backlog of cases. 'I am happy to inform you that we are working with the government on increasing the number of courtrooms and appointing additional judicial commissioners. 'We will assign circuit judges and judicial commissioners in various stations (locations) to hear ageing cases and dispose of them within a specified period,' he said. He also said Federal Court and Court of Appeal circuit sittings would resume, allowing litigants outside the Klang Valley to observe proceedings of the apex courts.
