THE government should not have "hidden" an order issued by the king to allow Datuk Seri Najib Razak to serve the remainder of his jail sentence at home, lawyer Haniff Khatri Abdulla said.
Haniff told Sinar that the government should have sought an audience with the king if it did not wish to execute the order.
"If the order exists, it is in the hands of the king to officially cancel it.
“The pardon was granted a day before then Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri'ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah's term of office expired,” he said, referring to the Pardons Board’s halving of Najib’s sentence from 12 to six. The alleged order for Najib to serve the rest of his sentence under house arrest was reported to be issued the same day.
"The government could have still met with the then king during this time,” he said.
He said the sultan may be called upon to testify if there is a legal challenge to the royal order. Protocol dictates that the testimony would be given by a representative of the king.
“Because the Agong or sultan is the head of state, he cannot be brought (to court) like ordinary people… unless he is a direct witness in a trial of a serious crime, for example, murder," Haniff said..
Yesterday Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi confirmed the existence of an addendum order from the former king allowing Najib to serve the remainder of his prison sentence at his residence.
The Umno president supported Najib’s claim in an affidavit filed at the Kuala Lumpur High Court on April 9.
Zahid claimed that former Selangor Umno treasurer Datuk Seri Tengku Zafrul Abdul Aziz showed him the document on his handphone at his house on January 30.
He said the addendum order had the seal and signature of His Majesty Seri Paduka Baginda the Yang di-Pertuan Agong XVI. – The Vibes, April 18, 2024
