Prisons Dept rejects Najib's application to attend Dewan Rakyat sitting - Shafee

KUALA LUMPUR: The Prisons Department has rejected Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak's request to attend the Dewan Rakyat sitting, says his lead counsel Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah.

Muhammad Shafee told reporters that Najib's request to attend was turned down by the department on grounds of safety.

"We have written to the Prisons Department director-general on Sept 19 and they replied to us they won't allow on grounds of safety.

"I find it a bit off, surely the Parliament is safer than the court...because we have received the rejection, we have written an appeal to Home Minister Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin," he said.

The lawyer further said that they will file a judicial review application on the Prisons Department's decision if they did not receive a response from Hamzah and his ministry by noon tomorrow or in the event that their appeal is rejected.

Muhammad Shafee said most importantly they have also written a letter to the Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Azhar Azizan Harun on Najib's eligibility as a Member of Parliament.

"He (the Speaker) himself has said that there are two documents, one is a pardon that has gone in within 14 days and the other one is the application for a review - Rule 137 of the Rules of the Federal Court 1995, which is also within 14 days.

"Once Datuk Seri Najib has done this within 14 days, either of these two, then he is automatically not disqualified. He remains an MP until these two matters are decided by the appropriate authorities; one is by the court and the other by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong or until the next General Election," he said.

Muhammad Shafee further said that his client also wanted the Prisons Department to consider allowing him to visit his constituency in Pekan, Pahang.

"We have asked...once in a while he should be able, as long as he is an MP, to be escorted to his constituency. This is in order for him to hear the grouses of his people and then to delegate the work to his aides...and after that, he can come back to the prison," he said.

Earlier today, Azhar said the presence of the Pekan MP at the Dewan Rakyat will depend on the Prisons Department's approval.

"This is not under my jurisdiction because he is not in my custody. Who has his custody? The Prisons Department. So, it is up to them," he said at the Dewan Rakyat sitting.

-- BERNAMA