Kuala Lumpur: The High Court here has fixed Oct 19 to hear Najib Razak’s bid to challenge the government’s refusal to allow him to attend Dewan Rakyat proceedings.
Federal counsel M Kogilambigai said the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) needs time to study written submissions filed by Najib’s lawyers in support of the application.
“We know there was a sense of urgency (previously to hear the application) but it no longer exists because Parliament has been dissolved,” she said.
Najib’s lawyer, Shafee Abdullah, suggested that the application be heard on Oct 14, insisting that there are serious legal issues to be determined by the court, including whether Najib can be nominated to stand again for elections.
The former prime minister is serving a 12-year jail sentence following his conviction in the SRC International case in July 2020, which was upheld, first by the Court of Appeal, and then by the Federal Court in August.
In response, Justice Ahmad Kamal Md Shahid said he will give the AGC one week to review the submissions. He directed that they file their written submissions in reply before next Wednesday.
Najib filed his application last week asking the court to set aside the prisons department’s decision to disallow his request to attend proceedings in the Dewan Rakyat.
However, no further sittings of the lower house will take place after Parliament was dissolved on Monday.
Najib is also seeking to revoke the prisons department’s decision barring him from accessing his officers for purposes of parliamentary, legislative and constituency work.
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