“We’re thankful” – UMNO Urges King to Enforce Najib’s House Arrest After Titah Adendum Confirmed Valid

UMNO urges the King to allow Najib to serve his sentence under house arrest after the addendum decree was confirmed valid 

Najib has been serving time in Kajang Prison since August 23, 2022, after being found guilty of misappropriating RM42 million from SRC International Sdn Bhd. He applied for a royal pardon shortly after, on September 2.

The Pardons Board later cut his jail sentence from 12 years to six, and reduced his fine from RM210 million to RM50 million, according to Berita Harian.

The Titah Adendum’s existence has been confirmed

UMNO has since called for the royal decree allowing former Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak to serve his sentence under house arrest to be carried out, as it falls under the Yang di-Pertuan Agong’s full authority based on Article 42(1) of the Federal Constitution.

UMNO Secretary-General Datuk Dr Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki said the call came after the Attorney General confirmed the existence of the Titah Adendum yesterday (July 10).

He added that if enforced, it would finally give the sixth Prime Minister the sentence reduction that’s been delayed for more than a year.

On Wednesday, the Attorney General’s Chambers (AGC) reportedly did not dispute the existence of the Titah Adendum, said to be a royal decree issued by the 16th Yang di-Pertuan Agong, which would allow Najib to serve the remainder of his prison sentence under house arrest.

“UMNO is thankful for the Attorney General’s confirmation of the Titah Adendum, which backs the royal decree for Najib’s house arrest. UMNO respectfully appeals for His Majesty’s mercy and hopes the house arrest order can be enforced, in line with His Majesty’s absolute powers under Article 42(1) of the Federal Constitution,” Asyraf said.

ACG raised concerns over how the decree was submitted

However, the AGC raised questions about the process of submitting the decree as new evidence in Najib’s judicial review application at the High Court.

On July 3 last year, the High Court rejected Najib’s bid to start the judicial review, leading him to appeal the decision at the Court of Appeal.

The court had ruled that four affidavits backing Najib’s claims, including statements from UMNO President Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and Vice President Datuk Seri Wan Rosdy Wan Ismail, were considered hearsay and couldn’t be used as valid evidence.

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Also read: Najib Razak Released From 3 Charges in SRC Money Laundering Case, But Not Fully Cleared