MELAKA: The courts should settle the questions over the High Court order on Datuk Seri Najib Razak's house arrest, and Umno should stop equating the bid for legal certainty with defying the King's decree, says Melaka Pakatan Harapan chairman Adly Zahari (pic).
He said the move by the Attorney General's Chambers (AGC) to seek a court ruling on the effect of the discharge order, issued after the former prime minister's RM50mil fine was paid, had a basis that should be looked into.
"The question is whether the SRC sentence is still running at a different location or has been completed, as the two have different implications for when the 1MDB sentence begins.
"This needs a judicial decision, not mere political assumptions," he said at Pakatan's daily press conference here on Sunday (Nov 8).
Adly said that while in power in Negri Sembilan, Umno had asked for the royal institution crisis there to be given room to be resolved through adat and legal processes.
"The same consistency must be shown when it involves Najib. Although the two matters have different constitutional bases, respect for lawful process cannot change according to political interests," he said.
He said Najib's defence team should also seek any clarification or further orders it needed through the courts.
"All parties should respect the judicial process and give the courts room to determine the legal position and how the order is carried out, without political pressure," he said.
Asked about the issue later, Adly said big national issues could sometimes leave state issues behind, and people may have been talking more about the Najib case over the past day or two.
He said Pakatan had asked its supporters to keep their focus on the 24 seats it is contesting.
Istana Negara said on Saturday (Nov 7) that the conditional pardon was clear and unambiguous, and that all its conditions had been fulfilled.
The AGC, which called on Friday (Nov 6) for the house arrest to be deferred pending legal clarification, has said it is not challenging the pardon but seeking a court ruling on the effect of the discharge order.
Umno has demanded that the house arrest be carried out immediately, saying any argument against the order could amount to defiance of the royal decree.
Najib was still in Kajang Prison as of Saturday (Nov 7), according to his lawyers.
Adly, who is Pakatan's choice for chief minister, is defending Bukit Katil in a four-cornered fight, with polling set for Nov 14.
