.jpg)
By Mihar Dias (C) Copyright October 2022
Najib Razak imprisoned for 12 years is technically still recognised as an MP for Pekan until his appeal for a pardon is reviewed by the Pardons Board and eventually the King.
As an MP he has the right to attend Parliament. Also, the Speaker of the Dewan was quoted as saying that he has no objection and the final permission to attend Parliament rests with the Prisons Department and not with him.
However, the Prisons Department that is responsible for all convicts under its custody seems to hold the view that it is risky for Najib to be allowed to attend Parliament.
I do not blame the Prisons Department for its rejection because Najib is a security risk whenever he is outside the prison compounds.
Although Najib is an MP and wants to attend Parliament supposedly to serve his constituency as their elected representative, he is a security risk whenever he is outside his prison cell.
Why would Najib be a security risk when he is attending Parliament?
His lawyer Shafee of Messrs Shafee & Co claimed that Parliament is the most secure building in the country.
Shafee might be right but then again the risk of Najib escaping or being harmed is quite high too.
So, the Prisons Department would require a sizeable force to keep Najib well protected and guarded in a public place like the Parliament House.
After all, Parliament is not exactly built like a fortress or a prison where all avenues for possible escape are minimised or closed off.
Besides he would have to be heavily escorted and transported by an unsightly prison vehicle that may be inappropriate to be seen on the grounds of an august assembly hall like the Houses of Parliament.
We are certain that the Prisons Department must have evaluated all risks involved when they rejected the request.
Someone did ask whether Najib would be in handcuffs if indeed he was allowed to attend Parliament.
I supposed not only would he be in handcuffs but by convention prison guards would be visibly seen escorting him in and out of Parliament itself or stand guard close to him in the assembly itself.
Also, they would be keeping him under close supervision at all times.
That would certainly be comical if not just plain awkward to have an MP in chains and guarded by prison wardens while attempting to perform his duties as a duly elected lawmaker and a representative of the people in Parliament.
Thus to avoid Najib from embarrassing himself and the nation any further and making a mockery of his prison sentence, I think it makes sense then to use "security risk" as an excuse for rejecting his request to attend Parliament.
On the other hand, if allowed to attend Parliament, Najib would "escape" attending court as a likely ploy to further delay his other court cases.
Najib's lawyer, Shafee himself admitted that there would be overlaps between the dates of Parliamentary sittings and the time scheduled for his client's court hearings.
If he was allowed to attend Parliament he would be able to use this as an excuse to miss attending his ongoing trials.
Why would he want to miss out on his court cases?
Delaying his trials which could drag on until the following year and maybe a few more later could prove advantageous politically for Najib.
In the event that there was a change in government when a new administration that assumes power happened to be made up of UMNO die-hards who are more amenable to reconsider and dismiss all charges levelled against him he could escape having to languish his life in prison.
This is a long shot but from what has been aired by Najib's supporters to date, an Attorney General appointed by a government that is supportive of Najib might be able to review his case or even withdraw all charges pending against him.
There is a precedent where a government in power withdrew charges against a political leader who was in office from a party that was part of the government of the day.
The last Pakatan Harapan government has been cited many times to be a precedent where the AG did withdraw an ongoing case against a minister.
Shafee said despite the rejection, his legal team has since filed an appeal and an application to Home Minister Hamzah Zainudin for his consideration.
In addition, Shafee stated that they were filing a judicial review on the Prisons Department's decision if they do not receive a response from Hamzah and his ministry or if it was rejected.
Shafee was not pleased with the reasons provided by the Prisons Department. He said security issues used are unreasonable because Najib would be far safer in Parliament compared to the courthouse where he may be more exposed to the general public. He could be right there too.
However, the public gallery is smaller than that in Parliament while the number of people in the latter is more because there are about 200 plus MPs who are likely to be found next to Najib than those sitting with him in the courtroom itself.
Anyway, this would be academic once the King and the Pardons Board decide to turn down Najib's appeal.
But meanwhile, the delaying tactics employed by the defence counsel are perceived as an excuse to postpone all outstanding cases against the former PM.
Delays might bring about the chances of Najib being discharged or pardoned thus fulfilling the prophecy of Tun Mahathir who said that a newly elected government led by UMNO would appoint a new attorney-general who would "protect the crooks".
But most revealing than the above allegations is from Zaid Ibrahim former UMNO law minister who has called for a halt to all pending criminal prosecutions against politicians until a new attorney-general (AG) is appointed because he felt that current cases against politicians were based upon selective persecution by the previous governments.
In sum, what appears to be an innocent request to attend Parliament is actually a disguise of layers of political intrigues to delay proceedings in the hope of a change in government that would likely favour granting Najib his freedom from imprisonment.
Mihar Dias is a content creator under the Newswav Creator programme, where you get to express yourself, be a citizen journalist, and at the same time monetize your content & reach millions of users on Newswav.
Log in to creator.newswav.com and become a Newswav Creator now!
Newswav is solely an aggregation platform and hosts the content. The views expressed and content above including media (pictures, videos, etc) were provided by the author. If you have any questions about the content, copyright or other issues of the work, please contact Newswav.
