Najib files contempt of court application against former AG

Malaysian Reserve

23-05-2025

by FARAH SOLHI
FORMER Prime Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Najib Razak has filed a committal application against former Attorney General (AG) Tan Sri Ahmad Terrirudin Mohd Salleh (picture).
According to court documents seen by The Malaysian Reserve (TMR), the application — filed on May 21, 2025 — sought the Kuala Lumpur High Court's leave (permission) to initiate committal proceedings on the grounds of contempt of court.
The law firm issuing the documents said that Ahmad Terrirudin, being the AG at the material time, had knowingly, consciously and deliberately instructed or caused arguments that were untrue to be presented to the High Court, during Naijb's leave application for judicial review in regards to the Addendum Order.
'He (Ahmad Terrirudin) had received the Order from the previous Yang di-Pertuan Agong instructing him, by name, to execute the house imprisonment of the applicant's (Najib) from Jan 29, 2024.
'The respondent endorsing such false submissions to the court is contrary to his paramount duty to the administration of justice.
'It undermines public confidence in the judicial system and constitutes contempt in the face of the court and or an interference with the due administration of justice, especially when the office of the AG has a duty of candour towards the applicant and the public at large,' the document stated.
Meanwhile, in a separate statement, the law firm reiterated its claims that Ahmad Terrirudin had direct knowledge of the Order, following a Pahang Royal Council letter that had formally confirmed the authenticity and validity of the Order, that was personally addressed to the former AG during his time in office.
'Despite having such knowledge, our client asserts that the former AG, while in office, instructed his officers to mislead the High Court during the hearing of the leave application for judicial review by portraying our client's claim regarding the existence of the Addendum Order as a fishing expedition — speculative and based on hearsay — despite knowing this to be patently false.
'It is our client's view that as a public officer, the former AG owed the court a paramount duty of candour.
'Malaysian and international jurisprudence, including decisions of our own Federal Court recently, makes plain that the government must place all relevant facts and documents before the court in any judicial review matter.
'A deliberate failure to do so undermines public confidence in the administration of justice, and indeed is an obstruction of justice itself,' the statement said.
The firm further said that given Ahmad Terrirudin now serves as a Federal Court judge, it is essential that he be afforded an opportunity to answer these serious allegations, and if appropriate, purge the contempt.
Najib, 71, filed his judicial review application on April 1 last year, seeking a mandamus order from the court to compel the government and six other respondents to confirm the existence of the royal addendum.
However, the Kuala Lumpur (KL) High Court dismissed his application on July 3 of the same year, ruling that the affidavits submitted constituted hearsay evidence.
On Jan 6 this year, the Court of Appeal returned Najib's application regarding the royal addendum to the High Court for a hearing.
On April 28, the Federal Court allowed the current AG's appeal against the Court of Appeal's decision, and the Apex Court is scheduled to hear the case in July.
Najib is currently serving his jail term in Kajang Prison, Selangor, after the Federal Court maintained KL High Court's decision which found him guilty of corruption involving RM42 millions of funds belonging to SRC International Sdn Bhd, a former subsidiary of the 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB).
Initially, he was sentenced to serve 12 years jail term and RM120 million fine on Aug 23, 2022.
However, the Pardons Board announced on Feb 2 last year that his sentence was reduced to six years, with the fine lowered from RM120 million to RM50 million.