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Najib backs trial live telecast petition, raps 'gov't-controlled media'
Published:  Apr 20, 2019 7:35 PM
Updated: Apr 21, 2019 3:27 AM

Former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak has thrown support behind a petition urging the government to broadcast his trial live, sharing a link to the petition on his Facebook page.

In a separate posting, he then said he was concerned that "government-controlled media" was not accurately reporting his trial to the public.

"The people have a right to know the truth and to have transparency," he said, adding the government should livestream his court trial over YouTube or Facebook.

The former prime minister is currently on trial over seven charges involving money laundering, criminal breach of trust and abuse of power over RM42 million he allegedly received from SRC International.

The petition, which has been signed by over 61,000 people as of press time, said that a live broadcast would hinder "fake news and information-twisting" by Najib's supporters.

The Chief Registrar's Office of the Federal Court, however, previously said court trials were not allowed to be recorded or broadcast live.

Meanwhile, lawyer Rafique Rashid Ali said Najib's former aide Hizatul Isham Abdul Jalil could be charged with contempt of court for uploading video clips of Najib's ongoing trial onto social media.


Read more: Police probing Najib trial videos for illegal information disclosure


"He allowed those videos (to be uploaded and) and it is open to the public to comment on, which may lead to contempt or for trying to bring the court into disrepute in the eyes of the public," Rafique said in a statement.

He also questioned whether Hizatul Isham had gotten hold of the video clips via the proper channels or otherwise.

Najib's trial resumes on Monday.

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