Najib claims judicial machinery was pinned against him

KUALA LUMPUR: Former Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said the worst feeling to have is to realise that the might of the judicial machinery was pinned against him, in the most unfair manner.

Telling his side of story from the dock in the Federal Court, the 69-year-old politician said over the past week, he watched from the dock as his chances of success in his appeal slowly eroded away.

"Not because of lack of merit but because I am not represented. While I note this Honourable Court's decision on barring the discharge of my lawyers, the fact of the matter is I am unrepresented.

"Yang Arif, I plead that no offence is taken for what I have said, but it is simply how I feel. As an accused and appellant at the final stage of a case, it is the worst feeling to have, to realise that the might of the judicial machinery is pinned against me in the most unfair manner," he said when reading his 20-page of statement.

Najib further said this was the first time he had changed solicitors or counsel for a good reason and this is also the first time an adjournment of four months has been requested, unlike other cases where adjournments of about 70 times were allowed by our courts.

"It is said that the accused is the most important person in the criminal court, yet I somehow feel mistreated and I feel a fair trial has not been accorded to me," he added.

Najib said in fact, comparing his case to that of the last high-profile case, the second Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim sodomy trial, it can be said that his appeal had taken a fast track to get where it was.

"Anwar took seven years with over 70 adjournments to get to this stage. The SRC case has taken four years, two years of which were affected by the pandemic, and no less than seven other proceedings, criminal and civil against me.

"As I have said, I have also never sought for an adjournment in this appeal apart from the ones following my change of solicitors and counsel," he said.

Najib said he is not ashamed to say he was desperate, as would any litigant placed in his situation and predicament as he thought what he decided would increase his chances of improving the quality of submissions at the appeal.

"Yang Arif, my decision has now left me with no counsel. While Tuan Haji Hisyam Teh Poh Teik came in with the most noble of intentions, he cannot represent me effectively as he never had adequate time to prepare or read, and I consider him and the team of solicitors discharged as of Aug 18, 2022 as it was made clear by Tuan Haji Hisyam on behalf of the team that they were not prepared to argue the appeals, in their state of total unpreparedness.

"Seriously, Yang Arif, may I ask this court, am I to be blamed and punished for relying on my own solicitors and counsel's advice?" he added.

The Federal Court today upheld the conviction and 12 years' jail sentence and RM210 million fine on Najib Tun Razak for misappropriating RM42 million of SRC International Sdn Bhd funds.

A five-member bench led by Chief Justice Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat dismissed the former prime minister's appeal to set aside the conviction and sentence imposed by the Kuala Lumpur High Court on July 28, 2020.

Najib, 69, on Dec 8, 2021, failed to overturn the ruling after the Court of Appeal upheld the High Court's decision.

-- BERNAMA