PUTRAJAYA: Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail sought to clear the air over the existence of an addendum order by the former Yang di-Pertuan Agong allowing Datuk Seri Najib Razak to serve the remainder of his sentence under house arrest.
In a press conference, Saifuddin, flanked by two top ministry officials, said the ministry nor the Prisons Department which it oversees, received any addendum order related to the former prime minister.
He said the ministry and Prisons Department only executed the directive given to them in a letter following the Pardons Board meeting.
The press conference, which came mere hours after Najib's lawyer, Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah revealed a letter from the Pahang Sultanate Council affirming the existence of an addendum order, began with Saifuddin explaining what happened after the Pardons Board met on Jan 29, 2024.
The minutes of the meeting, chaired by Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri'ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah made no mention of house arrest for Najib, he said,
"The only letter the Prisons Department received was on Feb 2, 2024," said Saifuddin.
The letter from the Legal Affairs Division of the Prime Minister's Department contained two "critical" documents, the minutes of the Pardons Board meeting and the official directive to implement the board's decision.
He said the directive included a summary of Datuk Seri Najib's legal proceedings and concluded with the Agong's official decree.
"By the powers vested in me under Article 42 of the Federal Constitution and other relevant authorities, I hereby order that Datuk Seri Najib bin Tun Haji Abdul Razak's sentence be adjusted. His early release date is set for 23 August 2028, and the fine reduced to RM50 million," said Saifuddin as he read out the decree.
However, he could not disclose the full minutes of the meeting as it was classified under the Official Secrets Act.
After the brief, Saifuddin took questions from the media before ending the 12-minute press conference.
On one question, Saifuddin was asked if the addendum order might have existed.
"I reserve my comments on that. I'm not a member of the Pardons Board. I'm not disputing (that it exists)," he said.
Saifuddin added he was only clearing the air after Shafee claimed the ministry did not execute the royal order on the house arrest.
"We can only execute what is written in black and white," he said, adding that there was no such addendum order in the minutes.
"So claims that the ministry did not execute the order, that's not true."
Asked to confirm that the addendum order was not attached to the official directive on the reduction of Najib's jail term and fine, Saifuddin said it was not.
"No, no knowledge of an addendum (order), just the letter (from the Prime Minister's Department)."
Saifuddin added that the ministry executed the directive it received, which was on the reduction of Najib's jail term and fine.
Earlier today, the Court of Appeal reinstated Najib's judicial review on the purported addendum order which the High Court dismissed last year.
The former Pekan member of parliament is seeking a mandamus order to compel the respondents to provide a response and verify the existence of the alleged additional decree dated Jan 29, 2024.