Aug 11 hearing for Najib's appeal on bid to attend Parliament sittings

The Court of Appeal has fixed Aug 11 to hear Najib Razak's appeal for leave to commence a legal challenge over the Prisons Department’s refusal to allow his request to attend Parliament sittings.

The hearing date was confirmed by federal counsel Ng Wee Li, when contacted by Bernama. 

An appeal has also been fixed on July 28, for another case management.

Case management for the appeal was conducted today before Court of Appeal deputy registrar Norshakinah Ahmad Kamarudin.

On Oct 27 last year, the High Court in Kuala Lumpur dismissed the former prime minister's application for leave to commence a judicial review to challenge the Prisons Department's refusal to allow his request to attend Parliament sittings.
 
Judge Ahmad Kamal Md Shahid held that Najib's application was academic as he ceased to be an MP following the dissolution of Parliament on Oct 10 last year, which had paved the way for the 15th general election which was subsequently held on Nov 19.

The High Court judge also said that unless and until a pardon was given or Najib's conviction was quashed upon review, there was no possibility that he would be an MP again, as the law prohibits any convicted person from contesting for election.

Najib had named the government, the home minister and the commissioner-general of prisons in his application seeking leave to initiate a judicial review which he filed on Oct 5 last year.

He sought a certiorari order to quash the decision of the commissioner-general disallowing him access to his officers/aides for the purposes of parliamentary, legislative and constituency work.

Najib began serving a 12-year jail sentence at Kajang Prison after the Federal Court on Aug 23 last year upheld his conviction and prison term as well as his fine of RM210 million after finding him guilty of misappropriating SRC International funds amounting to RM42 million. 

The hearing of his application to review the Federal Court's decision is ongoing.