In Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, the story surrounding former Prime Minister Najib Razak just took another twist. The Attorney General’s office is now asking for a gag order that would prevent public discussion of Najib’s legal challenge. What’s this all about? Well, Najib, who’s currently serving time for his role in the massive 1MDB scandal, is pushing for a claim that could change his fate.
He’s asking the courts to confirm the existence of a document—a so-called “addendum order”—which he believes was issued last year by the former King, Al-Sultan Abdullah Ahmad Shah. This document, according to Najib, would allow him to serve the remainder of his prison sentence from the comfort of his home, under house arrest.
Now, this claim has caused a lot of buzz across Malaysia. Najib, who was sentenced for criminal breach of trust and abuse of power related to the 1MDB scandal, argues that the authorities ignored this order when they announced a reduction in his sentence last year. To add more fuel to the fire, the former King’s palace confirmed the document exists. But here’s the kicker—the Malaysian Law Ministry says it has no record of this document, the Home Minister claims no knowledge of it, and even Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has publicly stated, “we did not hide anything.”
The tension has led to a request for a gag order, which has now been filed in court. Shamsul Bolhassan, the deputy chief of the chambers’ civil division, mentioned that the case touches on “sensitive issues.” So, what’s next in this legal rollercoaster? The case is far from over, and the Court of Appeal has already ruled in Najib’s favor by allowing his claim to move forward. This means the matter will be heard by a new judge soon.
Despite his conviction in 2020, Najib continues to deny any wrongdoing, and this ongoing battle could shape the next chapter of his legal saga. Stay tuned, because the drama in Malaysia is far from over!
