KUALA LUMPUR – Former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak was today granted permission to temporarily leave his ongoing 1MDB trial to pay his last respects to the late Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi at Masjid Negara.
Najib, who is currently serving a prison sentence, arrived at the National Mosque at around 10.45am. He was seen entering the main prayer hall through an alternative entrance to offer his final respects to the country’s fifth prime minister.
Earlier, Najib’s lead counsel Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah informed the high court that his client had applied for and received permission from the Prisons Department to attend the lying-in-state ceremony.
Shafee said Najib requested permission to be present between 11am and 12.30pm, after which he would return.
At about 10am, Shafee confirmed to the court that Najib had received clearance to leave temporarily, proposing a 10.15am departure.
“He’s got clearance,” he told the judge, Malay Mail reported.
The judge then allowed for a brief adjournment, enabling Najib to travel to Masjid Negara, where Abdullah’s remains lie in state at the main prayer hall until burial after Zuhur (midday) prayers.
In a post shared on social media last night, Najib – who succeeded Abdullah as prime minister – expressed deep sorrow over the passing of someone he described as “a friend, a mentor, a respected leader”.
He recalled Abdullah’s close relationship with his family, praising the former leader’s integrity, guidance, and contributions to the nation, calling him “a noble soul” and “a principled statesman”.
Tun Abdullah, affectionately known as Pak Lah, passed away yesterday evening at 7.10pm at the National Heart Institute. He was 85.
Najib’s trial is set to resume tomorrow. – April 15, 2025