'Merpati' message: Najib's lawyer calls special treatment claim 'bull****'

Najib Abdul Razak's lead defence counsel has dismissed the allegation that the former prime minister received special treatment for his medical condition.

Muhammad Shafee Abdullah (above) today described the claim as "bull****", stressing that the former finance minister was being treated like any other prisoner.

The lawyer said that he was not sure why Najib was sent to Cheras Rehabilitation Hospital (CRH), saying that it could be related to a previous knee problem that the accused suffered from when being premier.

"So what is the special (treatment)? I do not understand. Nothing," Shafee told the media at the Kuala Lumpur Courts Complex during a break in Najib's RM2.28 billion 1MDB corruption trial.

Opposition weighs in

Back on Sept 20, PKR deputy president Rafizi Ramli demanded the authorities answer allegations, among others contained in a viral WhatsApp message claiming that the accused was accorded special treatment. The allegation was that Najib was purportedly accorded the codename Merpati (pigeon).

Amanah vice-president Mahfuz Omar also demanded that prison authorities answer the allegation, adding that he himself had never gotten special treatment when imprisoned at Kajang, way before Najib was jailed there.

Other opposition figures such as DAP veteran Lim Kit Siang also weighed in to seek answers from the authorities.

On Sept 21, in response to the Merpati claim, prison authorities said that Najib was transferred from Kuala Lumpur Hospital (HKL) to the Cheras Rehabilitation Hospital (CRH). The accused has since been discharged from CRH and was seen in the dock at High Court today.

Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin also reportedly said that Najib was sent to CRH for physiotherapy.

Shafee: I had better room than Najib

Shafee this afternoon said that Najib may have been sent to CRH for physiotherapy due to a pre-existing condition related to a knee problem that saw the accused receive a big operation when he was prime minister.

The lawyer said there was no special treatment accorded to Najib as the former got a better room at CRH compared to the latter.

Shafee said Najib’s blood pressure is still elevated and that the prison authorities are monitoring the accused’s diet.

The counsel claimed that this is seen by the authorities, not even allowing Najib’s family members to give food to the accused.

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