Lawyer Shafee denies Najib getting special treatment

KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak's lawyer, Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah today denied the allegation that the former prime minister received special treatment for his medical condition.

When met by the media at the Kuala Lumpur Courts Complex during a break at Najib's RM2.28 billion 1Malaysia Development Berhad fund corruption trial, Muhammad Shafee said his client was being treated like any other prisoner.

He also dismissed the idea that Najib was given a first-class room at Hospital Kuala Lumpur or the Cheras Rehabilitation Hospital (HRC), saying that he had visited his client and that it was just a standard hospital room.

"No, bullshit, total nonsense. It's a standard room for anyone who needs that kind of treatment from the prison, that's what they gave him, I went (to see it).

"So, what's the special treatment? I do not understand," he said.

In refuting the claim that Najib received special treatment, Muhammad Shafee said: "Nothing. Maybe his food, because of the ulcer. Yes, they cannot give him spicy food, they cannot give him oily food."

When asked if Najib was getting outside food, the counsel said the family today was not allowed to provide food to Najib due to the need to monitor his diet in relation to his health condition.

He further said that Najib's blood pressure was still high and that the prison authorities were monitoring his client's diet.

On Sept 21, the Prisons Department confirmed that Najib had been admitted to the HRC for further treatment and would return to Kajang Prison to continue serving his sentence once discharged from the hospital.

Najib, 69, is facing four charges of using his position to obtain bribes totalling RM2.3 billion from 1MDB funds and 21 charges of money laundering involving the same amount.

On Aug 23 this year, Najib was sent to Kajang Prison after the Federal Court upheld the conviction and sentence of 12 years' jail and RM210 million fine imposed on him for misappropriating RM42 million of SRC International Sdn Bhd funds.

-- BERNAMA