Najib to attend hearing on Bar’s challenge to pardons board’s decision

PETALING JAYA: The Court of Appeal has granted former prime minister Najib Razak permission to attend a hearing on July 31 involving the Malaysian Bar’s appeal against the Federal Territories Pardons Board’s decision to reduce his prison sentence and fine in the SRC International case.

A three-member bench comprising Justices Azman Abdullah, Hayatul Abdul Aziz and Lim Hock Leng issued an order to produce after allowing an ex parte application by Najib’s lawyer, M Naresh, Bernama reported.

The order to produce requires prison authorities to bring Najib from Kajang prison to the hearing.

In November 2024, the High Court dismissed the Malaysian Bar’s application for leave to commence judicial review proceedings to quash the pardons board’s decision on Jan 29. 2024 to halve Najib’s prison sentence and reduce his fine.

The Bar appealed against that decision and named the pardons board, along with Najib, as respondents.

It is seeking declarations that the board’s decision to reduce Najib’s prison sentence from 12 years to six years, and his fine from RM210 million to RM50 million was unlawful, unconstitutional, and void.

Under the pardon, Najib’s scheduled release from prison was brought forward to Aug 23, 2029.

Najib, 72, is serving a six-year prison sentence in the SRC International Sdn Bhd case. He submitted a royal pardon petition on Sept 2, 2022.

He was separately convicted of abuse of power and money laundering involving 1MDB funds and sentenced to 15 years’ imprisonment, a conviction he is appealing.