A-GC must explain delay in implementing Najib’s house arrest, says BN MP
KUALA LUMPUR: The Attorney-General’s Chambers (A-GC) must explain why it delayed the implementation of Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s house arrest order last week.
Barisan Nasional (BN) MPs secretariat chairman Manndzri Nasib also questioned the reason for the postponement, which was reportedly due to ambiguity and legal implications.
“What was the real obstacle, and has the rectification of the documents resolved it?
“If the solution was to issue a new warrant or correct the documents, the A-GC must explain why this was not coordinated earlier or pursued immediately after the problem was identified,” he told a press conference at Parliament today.
He said the legal basis for Najib’s detention and where he served his sentence during the four days in question must be made clear.
“Any action without a clear legal basis may be challenged as ultra vires and unlawful detention,” he said.
He said Attorney-General Tan Sri Mohd Dusuki Mokhtar must also explain his role as a member of the Pardons Board who attended its meeting on Sept 18.
He asked whether questions about interpretation and implementation had been raised during the meeting.
“If they were, why was the solution not prepared before the fine was paid?
“If not, why did such an important issue only arise about seven weeks later, after the payment condition was met?
“This undermines the principles of legal certainty and the legitimate expectation of citizens,” he said.
Meanwhile, Manndzri condemned DAP’s Anthony Loke and Nga Kor Ming for what he described as open defiance of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong’s decree on Najib’s house arrest.
“The excessive pressure and open condemnation voiced by them earlier are no longer mere political rhetoric.
“They are an outright act of defiance against the Yang di-Pertuan Agong’s decree and a symbol of protest against the institution,” he said.
He also questioned the remarks by Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Federal Territories) Hannah Yeoh that she, rather than Loke, should have resigned over Najib’s house arrest.
Manndzri said that, as a Pardons Board member involved in the deliberations, her remark that she “should have stepped down” raised questions about what she had objected to.
He asked whether she disagreed with the pardon decision, its implementation or the government’s handling of the matter, and what she meant by describing Loke’s resignation as “paying the price”.