[UPDATED] Najib’s house arrest: Pahang MB says Tengku Zafrul told him about addendum order

KUALA LUMPUR – Pahang Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Wan Rosdy Wan Ismail has filed a supporting affidavit for former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s bid to serve the remainder of his sentence for corruption at home.

Similar to the supporting affidavit filed by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi in April, Wan Rosdy said he learned of a royal addendum order on the house arrest from Investment, Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Tengku Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz.

Tengku Zafrul told Wan Rosdy of the addendum order on January 30.

“Zafrul informed that the 16th Yang di-Pertuan Agong had issued a pardons decision to reduce the prison sentence by 50% and the fine to RM50 million.

“The Agong also issued another order (addendum order) for the applicant (Najib) to immediately undergo his prison sentence as house arrest and not in any prison,” Wan Rosdy said in the supporting affidavit that was shared with the media. 

It was filed on May 21 at the Kuala Lumpur High Court.

Wan Rosdy, who is also an Umno vice-president, said he then attended a meeting with other Umno leaders at Zahid’s house in Country Heights at night on January 30, where he raised the matter of the addendum order. The other party leaders named by Wan Rosdy were Datuk Seri Johari Ghani, Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan and Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said.

According to Wan Rosdy, Zahid, who is also Umno president, told the meeting that he was also aware of the addendum order, having been informed of it by Tengku Zafrul.

“I do not have a copy of the addendum order dated January 29, 2024 for reasons such as government secrecy and propriety, especially in view of the fact that the addendum order has not been implemented or enforced,” Wan Rosdy added. 

In his supporting affidavit, the Pahang menteri besar has named seven respondents, namely, the federal government, the home minister, the attorney-general, the Pardons Board for the Federal Territories of Kuala Lumpur, Labuan and Putrajaya, the minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (law and institutional reforms), the director of the legal affairs division under the Prime Minister’s Department, and the commissioner-general of the Prisons Department.

Wan Rosdy’s supporting affidavit, however, has received an objection from the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC).

The AGC, in a letter dated May 23 to the deputy registrar of the Kuala Lumpur High Court, said the supporting affidavit had been filed “too late” after writing and oral submissions were made by the AGC to the court on April 17, and in view of the fact that the court had set June 5 to decide if it would grant Najib’s leave for judicial review on the addendum order.

On May 24, Najib’s lawyer, Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah, filed his own supporting affidavit to state the necessity of Wan Rosdy’s document.

Shafee said the filing of more affidavits should not prejudice any party as long as a decision by the court has not been issued. He also said the supplementary affidavits will ensure the court has the necessary information to render its decision.

Najib, who is serving his sentence for corruption in the SRC International case involving RM47 million, filed his judicial review application on the addendum order on April 1 to have the government confirm and provide copies of the order and to implement it.

Zahid filed a supporting affidavit at the high court on April 9, confirming the order’s existence and saying that Tengku Zafrul had shown him a copy of it on his phone that was photographed or scanned from the original order.

The purported addendum order dated January 29 was issued as one of Sultan Abdullah of Pahang’s last official duties as the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.

On February 2, the Pardons Board announced the reduction of Najib’s sentence to six years from 12 and a reduced fine of RM50 million from RM210 million.

Subsequently, on April 17, Tengku Zafrul filed his own affidavit to correct errors in Zahid’s affidavit, but it was rejected by the court on the grounds that the senator did not represent any party in Najib’s judicial review. – May 27, 2024