Pahang MB files affidavit to back Najib's bid for house arrest

KUALA LUMPUR: The Pahang Mentri Besar has filed an affidavit in support of Datuk Seri Najib Razak's application for leave to commence judicial review in his claim over a royal addendum order, which would purportedly allow him to serve his remaining prison term under house arrest.

Datuk Seri Wan Rosdy Wan Ismail (pic) filed the affidavit through law firm Messrs Shafee & Co at the High Court last Tuesday (May 21).

In the five-page affidavit, which he affirmed in Kuantan, Pahang, Wan Rosdy claimed that he was told about the royal addendum order by Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz late afternoon on Jan 30.

On the evening of the same day, Wan Rosdy said he attended a meeting at the residence of Umno president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi in Country Heights, Kajang, whereby Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani, Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan and Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said were also in attendance, among others.

"I reported what was told to me by Tengku Zafrul earlier that day and Ahmad Zahid took note of it. He said he (Ahmad Zahid) was also told the same thing by Tengku Zafrul a day before.

"Ahmad Zahid also said he has read the addendum order from Tengku Zafrul," Wan Rosdy stated.

Wan Rosdy, who is an Umno vice-president, however said that he did not have a copy of the addendum order on grounds of secrecy considering that the addendum had not taken effect.

He said he truly believed there was basis in Najib's application for a judicial review on the addendum order, dated Jan 29, as the respondents had refused to answer nor confirm its existence.

"I therefore support the applications in the applicant's (Najib) notice," Wan Rosdy said.

Meanwhile, the Attorney General's Chambers (AGC) has filed a written objection on May 23 against Najib's leave application to file in Wan Rosdy's affidavit, saying that it was out of time.

In a letter affirmed by Senior Federal Counsel Shamsul Bolhassan, the AGC contended that Najib's bid to insert Wan Rosdy's additional affidavit was not done to answer any new issues that were raised from any of the affidavits that have been filed.

"The court had also rejected a leave application by Tengku Zafrul to insert his own affidavit in the matter.

"In totality, the application (to insert Wan Rosdy's affidavit) is an action to intercept all other objections raised by the AGC," Shamsul stated.

Najib filed the application for leave for judicial review on April 1.

He named the Home Minister, the Commissioner General of Prisons, the Attorney General, the Federal Territories Pardons Board, the Minister at the Prime Minister's Department (Law and Institutional Reform), director-general of the legal affairs at the Prime Minister's Department and the government as the first until the seventh respondents respectively.

In the notice of application, Najib sought a mandamus order that all of the respondents or one of them to answer and verify the existence of the addendum order dated Jan 29.

Najib is seeking a mandamus order where if the addendum order exists, all or one of the respondents must execute the royal order and immediately move him from the Kajang Prison to his residence in Kuala Lumpur where he would serve his remaining sentence under house arrest.

On April 9, Ahmad Zahid affirmed an affidavit in support of Najib's application, claiming that the royal addendum order indeed exists.

He said he was shown the document by Tengku Zafrul, who was the former Selangor Umno treasurer, at his (Ahmad Zahid's) house at Country Heights on Jan 30.

Justice Amarjeet Singh has fixed June 5 to deliver his decision in Najib's leave application.