KUALA LUMPUR: Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail stressed that the issue of the alleged royal addendum related to Datuk Seri Najib Razak's pardon appeal has been settled in court.
He was responding to Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan (PN-Kota Baru) when asked about the clarifications related to house arrest and whether there had been any royal addendum from the former Yang di-Pertuan Agong allowing Najib to serve the remainder of his sentence under house arrest.
In his reply, Saifuddin said the court had ruled the alleged royal addendum as "hearsay" and said his ministry had no involvement with the Pardons Board.
"Kota Baru (Takiyuddin) also follows the decision made by the court when the lawyer brought the matter forward.
"The court later ruled that the addendum was hearsay. If the court has already ruled on this, there is no need to raise it again.
"The court said the story was heard from sipolan (an individual), dan the sipolan heard from another sipolan (an individual and another individual). That means it is hearsay. I don't want to elaborate further on that," he said in his winding-up speech in Dewan Rakyat today.
Takiyuddin then asked if there was, in fact, a royal addendum.
"As the government, when the issue of the addendum arises, it is for the government to confirm whether or not it exists.
"It is not about hearsay or not hearsay, and the prime minister can seek an audience from the former Yang di-Pertuan Agong whether it exists or not," Takiyuddin said.
To this, Saifuddin said, "That is YB's opinion. If there is a dispute between the government and rakyat, or between sipolan and sipolan (between an individual and another), which institution makes the decision? The court makes the decision.
"If the court rules that it is hearsay, does YB understand what hearsay is? If so, then the matter is resolved.
"As there is a dispute, leave it to the court to decide. If it is something related to the law, let the court develop the law," he said.
Takiyuddin's concern stemmed from his question to the Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said yesterday regarding the justification and content of the bill related to house arrest.
Azalina had said she was not responsible for amendments to the Prisons Act or any new legislation related to house arrest.