Shafee denies Najib received special medical treatment

Najib Razak's lawyer Muhammad Shafee Abdullah yesterday denied the allegation that the former prime minister had received special treatment for his medical condition.

When met by reporters at the Kuala Lumpur court complex during a break at Najib's RM2.28 billion corruption trial linked to 1MDB, Shafee said his client was being treated like any other prisoner.

He also dismissed the notion that Najib had been given a first-class room at Hospital Kuala Lumpur or the Cheras Rehabilitation Hospital (HRC), saying he had visited his client and that it was just a standard hospital room.

"No, total nonsense. It’s a standard room for anyone who needs that kind of treatment from the prison, that’s what they gave him, I went (to see it).

"So what’s the special treatment? I do not understand," he said.
 
Continuing to dismiss the claim that Najib had received special treatment, Shafee said: "Nothing. Maybe his food, because of the ulcer. Yes, they cannot give him spicy food, they cannot give him oily food."

When asked if Najib was getting outside food, Shafee said the family was not allowed to provide food for Najib due to the need to monitor his diet in relation to his health condition.

He added that Najib’s blood pressure was still high and that the prison authorities were monitoring his client's diet.

On Sept 21, the prison department confirmed that Najib had been admitted to HRC for further treatment and would return to Kajang Prison to continue serving his sentence once discharged from the hospital.

Najib, 69, faces four charges of using his position to obtain bribes totalling RM2.3 billion from 1MDB funds and 21 charges of money laundering involving the same amount.

On Aug 23, he was sent to Kajang Prison after the Federal Court upheld his conviction, 12-year jail term and RM210 million fine for misappropriating RM42 million in SRC International funds.