On trial over 1MDB, Najib gets approval to pay last respects to Pak Lah (2025)

KUALA LUMPUR, April 15 — Former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak today successfully obtained permission to pay his last respects to his predecessor Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi at Masjid Negara.

This morning, Najib’s lead defence lawyer Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah informed the High Court that his client — who is a prisoner — has been allowed to briefly go to pay his last respects.

“My client also made an application this morning to the Prisons so that he can pay his last respects to Tun Abdullah Badawi,” Shafee said at 9.16am.

“So my client has asked the period between 11am to 12.30pm, which is the period to pay respects, he be given permission to pay last respects and come back,” he said.

Shafee then proceeded with Najib’s 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) trial, by calling in former inspector-general of police Tan Sri Mohamad Fuzi Harun as the 19th defence witness.

At 9.56am, Shafee informed the High Court that Najib has been given clearance to temporarily leave the 1MDB trial to pay his last respects, suggesting that his client leave at 10.15am.

“He’s got clearance,” he told the judge, but did not say who gave the clearance.

Later, Shafee called in 52-year-old Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) officer Datuk Mohd Hafaz Nazar as Najib’s 20th defence witness.

But after Hafaz took his oath as a defence witness, Shafee then asked for the 1MDB trial to be postponed to tomorrow.

“Because I was just told and impressed by the prison that Datuk Seri Najib’s slot to pay respect has been organised, and if he leaves here at 10.15am on the dot downstairs, he can make it. With that, may I respectfully request it be adjourned to tomorrow morning,” Shafee said.

Trial judge Datuk Collin Lawrence Sequerah then said that the 1MDB trial would have to resume tomorrow under these circumstances.

Shafee then expressed his apologies for the circumstances for asking for the trial’s postponement, with the judge then briefly remarking: “Pay respects to statesman.”

The prosecution did not object when Shafee notified the court about the application and arrangements for Najib to pay his last respects.

The 1MDB trial ended shortly before 10.15am.

Najib, who is currently a prisoner at the Kajang prison, has over the years been regularly transported under heavy security from the prisons to the courts to attend his 1MDB trial and other court matters.

Najib was in August 2022 sentenced to 12 years’ jail in his trial over SRC International Sdn Bhd’s RM42 million, but this was reduced by the Pardons Board to six years’ jail.

He has been in prison for more than two years and seven months now, and is still seeking to be given house arrest.