The Court of Appeal will deliver its decision on Jan 7 next year on the Malaysian Bar’s appeal seeking leave to commence a judicial review challenging the Federal Territories Pardons Board’s decision to reduce former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak’s sentence in the SRC International Sdn Bhd case.
Malaysian Bar lawyer Zainur Zakaria confirmed the date when contacted by Bernama today.
A three-member Court of Appeal bench comprising Datuk Lim Chong Fong, Datuk Azhahari Kamal Ramli and Datuk Leonard David Shim heard the appeal on July 31 and reserved its decision.
The Malaysian Bar is appealing the High Court’s dismissal in November 2024 of its application for leave to commence judicial review proceedings to challenge the Pardons Board’s decision.
The application, filed in April 2024 against the Federal Territories Pardons Board covering Kuala Lumpur, Labuan and Putrajaya, as well as Najib, seeks declarations that the board’s Jan 29, 2024 decision to reduce Najib’s 12-year prison sentence to six years and his fine from RM210 million to RM50 million was illegal, unconstitutional and void.
Najib, 73, has been serving his sentence at Kajang Prison since Aug 23, 2022, following his conviction for misappropriating RM42 million belonging to SRC International.
He submitted a petition for a royal pardon on Sept 2, 2022, which resulted in the Pardons Board reducing his prison sentence and fine by half.
On Sept 18, Najib was granted a conditional royal pardon allowing him to serve the remainder of his sentence under house arrest, subject to payment of the RM50 million fine.
Attorney-General Tan Sri Mohd Dusuki Mokhtar said yesterday that Najib had yet to pay the fine required under the condition for serving the remainder of his sentence under house arrest.
