Court of Appeal allows Najib to get passport to accompany pregnant daughter in Singapore

KUALA LUMPUR (Oct 18): A three-member Court of Appeal (COA) bench on Monday allowed an application by former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak for the temporary release of his passport to enable him to go to Singapore in order to accompany his daughter who is expecting to give birth to her second child soon.

The bench led by Justice Datuk Seri Kamaludin Md Said allowed the application and issued the court order for the temporary release of Najib’s passport following Najib’s lawyer Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah’s submission.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Mohd Fairuz Johari, who led the prosecution, said the prosecution had no qualms about the application and left the matter to the court.

The two other members of the bench were Justices Datuk P Ravinthran and Datuk Abu Bakar Jais.

“We are allowing the application as it is reasonable,” Justice Kamaludin said.

Shafee had asked for his client to be returned his passport on Wednesday (Oct 20), which would then be returned to the court on Nov 22. 

The lawyer added that Najib would leave the country for Singapore on Nov 3, and return to Malaysia on Nov 20.

“We request that the passport be returned to him on Oct 20 to allow my client to renew his passport before departing on Nov 3."

Shafee noted that Najib would have to be quarantined for 10 days once he arrives in Singapore, and would only be united with his daughter on Nov 14.

“As he will return to Kuala Lumpur on Nov 20, he will get to accompany his daughter for six to seven days,” Shafee said.

The lawyer added that as the former premier will have to be quarantined for 14 days once he returns to Malaysia, an agent will return his passport to the court on his behalf.

Last Friday, Najib applied with the Court of Appeal for his passport to be returned temporarily on the same day the High Court allowed a similar application for his wife Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor to enable her to go to Singapore and provide mental and emotional support to Nooryana Najwa Najib.

In his application, the former premier said that he needs to be with his daughter Nooryana, who is due to deliver her second child soon at a private hospital in Singapore.

In his supporting affidavit, Najib said that Nooryana, who lives in Singapore, does not have any other family support other than her husband and four-year-old son.

“Nooryana is expected to give birth in late October or early November. Since Nooryana is my daughter, I have the responsibility to ensure that she is taken care of and receives the support or treatment needed.

“Nooryana does not have any other family members in Singapore that can help and accompany her throughout being in labour and eventual delivery,” Najib said in his application.

The former Umno president added that Nooryana experienced serious complications when giving birth to her first child, and added that he had been informed that the delivery of her second child would carry high risk.

Najib has been sentenced to 12 years’ jail and fined RM210 million, which he is currently appealing against.

This came after High Court Judge Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali found Najib guilty of all seven charges linked to SRC International Sdn Bhd, a former subsidiary of 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB), which included one for abuse of power involving Retirement Fund (Incorporated)’s (KWAP) RM4 billion loans to SRC, and three charges each of criminal breach of trust and money laundering involving RM27 million.

Get the latest news @ www.EdgeProp.my

Subscribe to our Telegram channel for the latest stories and updates 

Click here for more property stories