KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk Seri Najib Razak has been given the green light to travel to Singapore after the Melaka state elections next month.
This was after three High Courts here allowed the former prime minister to postpone his travel plans when he applied for the temporary return of his passport today.
On Oct 18, the Court of Appeal approved Najib's application for the temporary return of his passport to enable him to travel to Singapore to visit his daughter Nooryana Najwa.
He was originally scheduled to leave for Singapore on Oct 20 and return by Nov 22.
Najib through his counsel Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah applied to amend his travel date to Nov 21, and he will return his passport before Dec 6.
Judge Mohamed Zaini Mazlan allowed the application after Shafee gave his assurance that the defence would replace the affected dates for the trial.
"We will replace the affected trial dates (Oct 29 and 30) as soon as possible," Shafee said.
Judges Datuk Collin Lawrence Sequerah and Datuk Muhammad Jamil Hussin also allowed the application after hearing the same submissions from Shafee.
Meanwhile, Deputy Public Prosecutor Mohd Ashrof Adrin Kamarul said the prosecution did not object to the application.
Najib in his supporting affidavit said he had been tasked to be the' caretaker' for the party during the by-election.
The former Umno president said his successor Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi will be in Germany during the elections for his medical treatment.
"I have been entrusted to ensure that Umno will act in an orderly and appropriate manner during the by-election.
"I therefore need to delay my travel to Singapore to after the by-election on Nov 20," he said.
The Pekan Member of Parliament is now on trial for multiple corruption charges involving 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) financial scandal, audit tempering, and money laundering.
He was sentenced to 12 years in jail and fined RM210 million after he was found guilty for misappropriation of RM42 million of SRC International Funds.