Najib wants to attend Parliament, judge says no

KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk Seri Najib Razak wanted to skip his court case today after pleading that he needed to attend Parliament instead.

However, his application to do so was booted out by High Court judge Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali.

He made the decision after hearing the request from Najib’s lead counsel Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah and counter arguments from Attorney General Tommy Thomas.

Shafee had applied for the adjournment immediately after Najib’s trial involving abuse of SRC International Sdn Bhd funds resumed at 9.45am.

The trial, which had been postponed after the last hearing on June 20, has entered its 30th day after 40 prosecution witnesses were called to the stand.

However, at the onset of the hearing this morning, Shafee said his client needed to seek a one day timeout today for the latter to attend the Parliament sitting.

Shafee said Najib wanted to take part in the session as an important bill concerning the declaration of assets for all members of parliament (MPs) would be tabled.

“My client has been charged and is on trial but he also has a duty to attend Parliament.

“He is not asking to be absent for the entire three weeks this case has been fixed. All he is asking is a reasonable request to attend today’s session and also another session when the bill on lowering the eligible age of voters is tabled,” he said.

Shafee argued that there had been previous cases of MPs who were also given adjournment to their court cases when they needed to attend Parliament.

He cited the cases of the late Karpal Singh and also Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

Karpal, he said, always managed to get blanket exception to attend Parliament whenever his court cases clashed with Parliament sittings.

He said similarly Anwar had also managed to obtain adjournment to his court cases to perform his statutory duty as an MP.

Another of Najib’s lawyer Datuk Kamarul Hisham Kamarudin then stood up and argued that even Lim Guan Eng had been given adjournment to attend Parliament sitting when he was charged in the Penang High Court.

However, Thomas countered their arguments by saying that there was no reason for the court to grant Najib’s request as the Pekan MP can always attend Parliament sitting after 5pm.

He said Parliament sitting often dragged until 9pm sometimes and Najib could always go there after his court case.

He said there should be some form of court discipline to ensure the trial progresses smoothly.

“The defence mantra has always been that they want to prove their case in court but they take every opportunity to seek for an adjournment.

“This is a frivolous application and I object it,” he said, adding this is the price an MP who is facing criminal prosecution has to pay.

After hearing arguments from both sides, Mohd Nazlan ruled that Najib’s application will not be entertained.

“I considered the request for an adjournment. This is not a question of obstructing the accused from attending parliament.

“I therefore refuse the application for an adjournment,” he said before ordering the trial to proceed.

The former prime minister is facing seven charges of criminal breach of trust, abuse of power and money-laundering involving RM42 million of SRC International funds.

He faces 20 years’ jail and a fine for the offences if convicted.