Latest news with #ShafeeAbdullah
Free Malaysia Today
2 days ago
- Politics
- Free Malaysia Today
Shafee asked by AG to show cause over ‘Nazi hearing' claim
Lawyer Shafee Abdullah is alleged to have made the remark during a press conference on May 29, which was live-streamed via ex-prime minister Najib Razak's Facebook page. PETALING JAYA : The attorney-general (AG) has asked lawyer Shafee Abdullah to show cause why committal proceedings should not be brought against him over his description of a court proceeding as 'a Nazi-Germany kind of hearing'. In a letter dated June 23 and handed personally to Shafee, the AG sought a reply from him within seven days. 'If you do not provide a satisfactory explanation within seven days from the date of this notice, criminal prosecution will be initiated against you,' the letter, sighted by FMT, read. The letter was signed by deputy public prosecutor Saiful Edris Zainuddin on behalf of AG Dusuki Mokhtar and sent pursuant to Order 52, Rule 2B of the Rules of Court 2012. The provision states that any formal notice to show cause why a person should not be committed to prison or fined must be served personally. The letter claimed that Shafee, who acts for ex-prime minister Najib Razak in his ongoing criminal charges and civil suits, made the remark during a press conference on May 29, which was live-streamed via Najib's Facebook page. The letter alleged that the words spoken as a whole could undermine public confidence and interfere in the administration of justice. Malaysiakini last month reported Shafee's criticism of a court order to temporarily stop all proceedings linked to Najib's royal addendum, during which the lawyer allegedly compared the decision to 'a Nazi-Germany kind of hearing'. Shafee clarified to the media that the remark was made during an exchange with a reporter and was intended to educate the public, not undermine the judiciary. He also said the remark was made solely in the context of explaining the meaning and essence of a 'judicial decision'. Najib has obtained leave from the Court of Appeal to begin judicial review proceedings to enforce a royal decree which allows him to serve the remainder of his jail sentence under house arrest. However, proceedings have been suspended pending the disposal of the AG's appeal to the Federal Court, which will be heard next week.
Free Malaysia Today
6 days ago
- Politics
- Free Malaysia Today
Najib could still apply for parole, says lawyer
Former prime minister Najib Razak has obtained a PhD while in prison, says his lawyer, Shafee Abdullah. KUALA LUMPUR : Najib Razak still has a shot at being freed even if he fails to obtain a judicial review on a royal addendum that purportedly allows him to serve the remainder of his prison sentence under house arrest. The former prime minister's lawyer, Shafee Abdullah, said Najib could still apply for parole in September or October. 'And the chances of him obtaining a parole is high considering that his jail term has been reduced to six years and he will receive an automatic remission after two years,' Shafee said. 'Najib has already served three years, so it's just another year left (before he is eligible for an automatic remission). He can be paroled,' he said. Najib is currently serving a six-year jail sentence on charges of abuse of power and corruption in the SRC International case. A Federal Court hearing has been set for July 1-2 on an appeal against a Court of Appeal decision allowing Najib to initiate a judicial review related to the addendum. The Court of Appeal had ordered the High Court to hear Najib's claim of the existence of a royal addendum. Separately, Shafee said that Najib has been a model prisoner. He also said Najib had obtained a doctorate while in prison and therefore saw no reason why he should be denied parole. 'His PhD is about developing the country. Many came to engage him. In many ways he is a model prisoner,' Shafee said.
Free Malaysia Today
20-06-2025
- Politics
- Free Malaysia Today
It's a judicial matter, Anwar says on Najib's DNAA
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said the discharge not amounting to an acquittal granted to Najib Razak is 'a question for the attorney-general'. (PMO pic) SUBANG JAYA : Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has refused to comment on the conditional discharge granted to Najib Razak earlier today, saying it is a judicial matter. 'I'm not going to weigh in, this is a question for the attorney-general,' he said when met by reporters after performing the Friday prayers in Puchong, here. Najib was granted a discharge not amounting to an acquittal (DNAA) earlier today in his RM27 million SRC International Sdn Bhd money laundering case. Justice K Muniandy made the ruling in the High Court, saying there was nothing to show that the prosecution was 'able to proceed with the case for the time being, or proceed within a reasonable time.' Last week, Najib's counsel Shafee Abdullah submitted that it was unfair for his client to wait indefinitely for a fixed trial date as the prosecution was unable to provide a timeline to gather the 807 exhibits used in the previous SRC trial. Najib, 71, had asked for the three money laundering charges, brought against him in February 2019, to be withdrawn. In a later case which began on April 3, 2019, Najib was slapped with seven charges of abuse of power, money laundering, and criminal breach of trust involving RM42 million in SRC funds. On July 28, 2020, the High Court convicted the former prime minister of all seven charges. His appeals from his conviction and sentence were dismissed by the Court of Appeal on Dec 8, 2021 and the Federal Court on Aug 23, 2022. He received a partial pardon in January last year and is currently serving a reduced six-year prison term.
South China Morning Post
20-06-2025
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
Malaysia's Najib discharged over US$6.3 million money laundering case
A judge on Friday discharged disgraced former Malaysian prime minister Najib Razak from a US$6.3 million money laundering case after ruling that the prosecution had failed to provide relevant documents to the defence. The ruling marks the second time a case involving Najib has been dismissed due to prosecutorial inaction, raising fresh questions about the conduct and priorities of the Attorney General's Chambers (AGC). Najib, who led the country for nine years until his defeat in the 2018 general election, is currently serving a 12-year prison sentence following his 2020 conviction in the first of several 1MDB-related cases . For this case, he has maintained that he was granted the right to home detention under the directive of Malaysia 's previous king. On Friday, High Court judge K. Muniandy granted Najib's application for a discharge not amounting to an acquittal (DNAA) after defence lawyer Shafee Abdullah argued that it was unjust to keep the former prime minister in legal limbo for more than six years without a confirmed trial date. '[Najib] is very happy simply because there are not too many cases overhanging his head [now],' the lawyer told reporters after the verdict. A DNAA does not absolve the accused of an alleged offence and allows the prosecution to refile charges at a later date. Najib, now 72, was initially charged in February 2019 with three counts of receiving 27 million ringgit (US$6.3 million) in proceeds from unlawful activities through three personal bank accounts on July 8, 2014.
Free Malaysia Today
20-06-2025
- Politics
- Free Malaysia Today
Prisons dept was okay with Najib filing report, says Shafee
Lawyer Shafee Abdullah said the prisons department needed permission from the home minister for Najib Razak to file a police report in person. KUALA LUMPUR : Najib Razak's lawyer claims that the prisons department would have allowed the former prime minister to file a police report over the royal addendum issue if home minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail had given permission. However, Shafee Abdullah said that multiple letters for permission from the minister went unanswered, forcing him to help lodge the report on behalf of his client. 'The prison authorities are generous, they had no objections to Najib filing a report himself. Unfortunately, they needed permission from their superior, which is the home minister. 'We wrote to him multiple times but there was no reply,' he told a press conference at the lobby of the court complex here today. Earlier this week, Shafee lodged a police report against former attorney-general Ahmad Terrirudin Salleh for allegedly 'deliberately misleading' the High Court that the royal addendum was speculative and based on hearsay evidence. He lodged the report at the Dang Wangi police headquarters. Shafee claimed that Terrirudin had committed an offence under Section 209 of the Penal Code, which relates to dishonestly making a false claim before a court. He also accused the ex-AG of committing an offence under Section 204 of the Penal Code by hiding a document with the intention of preventing it from being used as evidence in court. Last month, Najib filed an application to initiate contempt proceedings against Terrirudin, who is now a Federal Court judge. His legal team claimed that Terrirudin, while serving as the AG, failed to reveal the former king's royal addendum allowing Najib to serve the remainder of his jail sentence under house arrest. During a hearing in January, Shafee told the Court of Appeal that the addendum was sent by the Pahang palace to Terrirudin on Jan 29, 2024.
