BANGI, Nov 12 – The Malaysian Bar has the right to challenge the decision allowing former Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak to serve the remainder of his prison sentence under house arrest, says Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said.
Azalina said the Bar could pursue legal action if it believed there were valid grounds to question the decision by the Federal Territories Pardons Board.
She also stressed that the power to grant pardons falls under Article 42 of the Federal Constitution. This provision places the royal prerogative of mercy within the authority of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.
Speaking to reporters in Bangi on Thursday, Azalina said the Malaysian Bar was entitled to raise any legal issues it considered appropriate.
She made the remarks after attending a certificate presentation ceremony for the Professional Mediation Certification Course and Mediator Appointment Certificates. The event also included the launch of the Legal Aid Department’s MADANI Mediation Centre Handbook 2026.
AGC and Najib to Submit Written Arguments
Meanwhile, the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) has objected to the Malaysian Bar’s application for permission to challenge the Pardons Board’s decision through a judicial review.
At the High Court hearing, Senior Federal Counsel Ahmad Hanir Hambaly@Arwi informed Judge S. Indra Nehru that the AGC had received the Bar’s application by email two days earlier. The AGC requested more time to prepare its written arguments.
Najib’s lawyer, Muhammad Farhan Muhammad Shafee, also told the court that his client intended to submit written arguments. He said the court’s decision could affect Najib if it granted permission for the judicial review.
The Malaysian Bar’s lawyer, Zainur Zakaria, did not object to the requests from the AGC and Najib’s legal team.
Court Sets March 17 Hearing
Following the requests, the court fixed March 17, 2027, to hear the application.
Judge Indra Nehru also directed the parties to submit their written arguments by Dec 14. They must file any replies by Dec 28.
The Malaysian Bar filed its judicial review application on Nov 10. It named the Federal Territories Pardons Board, the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform), the Director-General of Prisons and Najib as respondents.
The legal challenge concerns the decision allowing Najib to serve the remainder of his prison sentence in the SRC International Sdn Bhd case under house arrest.
The court will now consider the application and the arguments from the parties involved.
Source : BERNAMA | Rewritten By Minutesmy
