KUALA LUMPUR: The High Court here was informed that former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, who is in the midst of his 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) trial, needed medical attention due to a change in his blood pressure medication.
Senior deputy public prosecutor Datuk Seri Gopal Sri Ram said that he was informed of the situation by a Prisons Department officer on Monday (Sept 12).
"The accused's medicine for blood pressure has changed.
"It had an adverse effect on him and his condition is quite bad," Sri Ram said.
Najib was present during the proceedings here on Monday.
Wearing a suit, he sat in the dock as Sri Ram informed the court of the medical issue.
The prosecutor said that Najib, however, was prepared to go through the proceedings until 12.30pm.
"By 2pm, he has to see a doctor," Sri Ram added.
In an Instagram post, Najib's daughter Nooryana said the former premier had a scope at Kuala Lumpur Hospital (HKL) on Saturday (Sept 10).
"The doctor discovered multiple new ulcers in his stomach. It is a recurring problem since more than 15 years ago," she said in her post, adding that it was public knowledge that in 2010, Najib was hospitalised for a few days due to this.
Last year, Nooryana said he was also in the ICU at a private hospital for about a week where he had five blood transfusions to replace the blood lost due to internal bleeding.
On Sunday (Sept 11), the doctors at HKL did a biopsy which led to some bleeding and several ulcers had to be clipped to stop the bleeding.
"Daddy requested for observation at HKL, but was denied and the doctor discharged him, changed his medication from the usual he had been taking for years and sent him back to Kajang," she said.
"This morning, a test by a medical assistant showed that Daddy's blood pressure is dangerously high due to the change in medication administered.
"On humanitarian grounds, our family pleads with the Prisons Department, the hospital and the Government to do the right thing and allow him to get proper medical care and observation," her post read.
Justice Collin Lawrence Sequerah agreed to adjourn the trial at 12.30pm this afternoon to allow Najib seek medical attention.
The court is currently hearing a testimony from the 37th prosecution witness, R. Uma Devi, who is an AmBank branch manager.
Najib, 69, is facing four charges of using his position to obtain bribes totalling RM2.28bil from 1MDB funds and 21 charges of money-laundering involving the same amount.
The hearing will resume on Tuesday (Sept 13).
