BUKIT MERTAJAM: The government has dismissed claims that the royal addendum on former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s house arrest was hidden.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said the addendum, which would allow Najib to serve the remainder of his sentence under house arrest, was not discussed during the Pardons Board meeting in 2023.
"After the document was sent, there was a change of Yang di-Pertuan Agong and the Attorney General handed over the document to the palace to enable His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia, to make a decision," he said during the Muhibbah Madani programme at Bandar Perda on Saturday (Jan 11).
Anwar said the document was sent to the Attorney General and not him (Anwar) or any member of the Pardons Board.
"I was part of the board in 2023 as I was serving as the Federal Territories Minister at the time.
"During the meeting, this matter (addendum) was not raised while I was present, nor was it brought up when Dr Zaliha Mustafa (Minister in the Prime Minister's Department [Federal Territories]) was there.
“That is the reality – nothing was hidden," he said.
(Anwar did not appoint a Federal Territories Minister when he announced his first Cabinet line-up in December 2022 and he served as the acting minister. Dr Zaliha was appointed the Federal Territories Minister on Dec 11, 2023.)
Anwar said he feels it is time he explains the issue after the many lies and slander surrounding it.
He added that he refrained from commenting on the royal addendum because it falls under the absolute jurisdiction of the current King, Sultan Ibrahim, which prevents him from overriding the royal institution.
"On the royal addendum, this is the first time I am talking about it and I have not answered it for two weeks because we need to understand how our laws work.
"Anyone who is sentenced to prison can appeal to the King before the decision is made by the Pardons Board.
"In Datuk Seri Najib's case, an appeal was submitted, and I brought it up (the agenda) in a meeting (of the Pardons Board) last year for review (by the 16th Yang di-Pertuan Agong) by presenting all the related reports," he added.
The Prime Minister also criticised the leaders of Opposition parties like PAS and Bersatu for seemingly blaming him over the royal addendum.
He also expressed surprise at being held responsible, despite having presented Najib’s appeal to the Pardons Board chaired by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong at the time, Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri'ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah.
"Some people say Anwar should be arrested and sentenced to death. This is the state of politics today.
"I have no issue with it, but PAS – which previously criticised Najib from head to toe – is now supporting him for political reasons," he said.
Previously, Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil, who is also the government spokesman, said the government needed time to acknowledge the existence of the royal addendum as it had to follow legal processes in court.
Last Monday, the Court of Appeal allowed Najib to initiate judicial review proceedings to compel the government and six other parties to confirm the existence of the royal addendum.
The royal addendum is believed to have been approved by Sultan Abdullah, allowing Najib – who was convicted of misappropriating RM42mil from SRC International Sdn Bhd – to serve the remainder of his prison sentence under house arrest.
