KUALA LUMPUR — Hearing for Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s bid to enforce an addendum order on his home imprisonment is on hold pending the disposal of the Attorney-General’s (AG) appeal in the Federal Court.
The High Court here today granted a stay to a joint application by the AG and by Najib’s legal team to pause all proceedings for the former prime minister’s judicial review on the addendum order, NST reports.
The stay also includes the gag order sought by the AG on public discourse over the judicial review.
The stay follows the Federal Court’s ruling this morning allowing the AG to appeal against the Court of Appeal’s decision on Jan 6 to allow Najib’s judicial review and to send it back to the high court to be heard on its merits.
Najib is seeking for the government to confirm the existence of the royal addendum order and to enforce it.
High Court Judge Hayatul Akmal Abdul Aziz granted the stay after senior federal counsel Ahmad Hanir Hambaly informed the court of the Federal Court’s decision earlier today.
“We have agreed not to pursue both matters pending the outcome of the AG’s appeal,” Hanir told the court, referring to Najib’s judicial review as well as the gag order requested by the AG, which Najib’s legal team has opposed.
Najib’s lawyer Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah told the court he confirmed the senior federal counsel’s remarks.
Hayatul fixed July 3 for the parties to update her.
The Federal Court’s three-member panel in its decision this morning to allow the AG’s appeal ruled that AG had raised arguments that are “novel and of public importance” which warrant a hearing.
The apex court set July 1 and 2 as the hearing dates.
Najib began serving his 12-year prison sentence in August 2022 but had the term halved after receiving a royal pardon on Jan 29, 2024. He claims there is a royal addendum order for him to serve the remainder of his sentence under home imprisonment, and has taken the matter to court to compel the government to prove the existence of the order and to enforce it.
The AG is to raise questions of law as to why Najib should not have been given leave for the judicial review. – April 28, 2025