PUTRAJAYA: The government has never concealed any document related to a royal addendum allowing former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak to serve the remainder of his six-year sentence under house arrest.
Government spokesman Fahmi Fadzil said, as the communications minister, he himself has never seen or received any royal addendum document.
"To be honest, the document has never been hidden. As the communications minister, I have neither received, seen, nor been informed about the document.
"I believe this matter involves the Pardons Board and we also acknowledge that the Court of Appeal has ruled for the case to be remitted to the High Court," he said in his weekly post-cabinet meeting press briefing.
Fahmi said the government must adhere to the legal process as outlined by the courts.
He said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim had clarified during the Prime Minister's Question Time (PMQT) session in the Dewan Rakyat last year that the government is bound by the principle of sub judice.
"In this matter, we adhere to the processes outlined in court, as the prime minister explained during the PMQT session in Parliament.
"We are bound by the principle of sub judice, and we comply with and respect that principle while allowing the court process to proceed.
"So, we need to seek the views and advice of the attorney-general to ensure that no action prejudices the ongoing legal proceedings," he said.
Opposition leader Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin had previously claimed that the government hid the existence of the royal addendum order for Najib to serve the rest of his six-year sentence under house arrest.
On Jan 6, Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah revealed a letter from the Pahang Sultanate Council affirming the existence of a royal addendum order allowing Datuk Seri Najib Razak to serve his remaining jail term under house arrest.
The letter dated Jan 4 was addressed to Najib's eldest son Datuk Mohamad Nizar by the Comptroller of the Royal Household of the Sultan of Pahang Datuk Ahmad Khirrizal Ab Rahman.
Shafee had produced the document when submitting Najib's application to the Court of Appeal to adduce additional evidence in his appeal to reinstate his judicial review against the government to disclose the alleged addendum order.
Najib had been sentenced to 12 years in prison with a fine of RM210 million after he was convicted in the SRC International case.
However, his prison sentence was halved to six years and his fine was reduced to RM50 million following his petition for a royal pardon.