Now, Najib seeks to postpone Singapore trip to help Umno in Melaka polls

Najib Razak has applied to amend the dates of the temporary release and return of his impounded passport for him to visit his daughter in Singapore, saying that he is needed to help the Umno election machinery in the Melaka election slated for next month.

Najib said he was entrusted with the responsibility as Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi would be in Germany to seek treatment for his spine injuries during the state election period.

“Therefore, I have to postpone my trip to Singapore until after the Melaka state election on Nov 20,” he said in his supporting affidavit filed together with the application.

Najib, 68, filed the application at the High Court in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.

He applied for the dates of the temporary release and return of his impounded passport to be amended from Oct 20 and Nov 22 respectively to Oct 25 and Dec 6 for him to visit his daughter Nooryana Najwa in Singapore, as she is expected to give birth to her second child in early November.

In his supporting affidavit, Najib said the Court of Appeal had on Oct 18 granted him temporary custody of his passport from Oct 20 to Nov 22 for him to visit his daughter in Singapore.

However, with the Melaka election to be held on Nov 20 and nomination on Nov 8, and with the tasks given to him, Najib said he had to change his plans and would leave for Singapore on Nov 21 and return to Malaysia on Dec 5 or earlier, and return his passport to the court on Dec 6 at the latest.

“I have to let my wife Rosmah Mansor leave for Singapore first to look after Nooryana while I complete my tasks and responsibilities here,” he said.

Judge Mohamed Zaini Mazlan set Oct 26 to hear the application.

Najib is being tried before Zaini for using his position to order amendments to the final 1MDB audit report before it was presented to the Public Accounts Committee to avoid any action being taken against him.

Last Friday, the Kuala Lumpur High Court allowed the application of Rosmah, who is on trial for graft, for the temporary release of her passport for the same purpose.