'Not now', Zahid refuses to comment on gag order bid over addendum

Summary

• Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi refuses to comment on the government’s move to file a gag order over the royal addendum involving former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak.

• However, the Umno president says he will speak on the matter later.  

Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has refused to comment on the Attorney-General’s Chamber’s move to file for a gag order over the royal addendum involving former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak.

However, the Umno president assured that he would share his views on the matter soon.

“I will answer at another time,” he told reporters after officiating a Risda event in Bangi, Selangor today.

On Jan 20, the government filed an application for a gag order over Najib’s house arrest judicial review linked to an alleged royal addendum.

Najib’s counsel Muhammad Farhan Muhammad Shafee confirmed with Malaysiakini that the AGC filed the application at the Kuala Lumpur High Court.

Previously, it was reported that the government would seek a gag order from the civil court over the entire proceedings.

According to a copy of the application that Malaysiakini sighted, the government sought the gag order to restrain any party, including the media, from publishing, broadcasting, or disseminating anything related to the ongoing judicial review.

The applicant sought the gag order over the dissemination that could cause public discussion and speculation that trigger doubt, questioning, challenge or insult against the prerogative of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.

However, the government’s move courted brickbats from several quarters, with the Centre for Independent Journalism saying it was an affront to freedom of expression and the right to information.

MCA vice-president Lawrence Low said the move runs contrary to the government’s previous stand in championing transparency and Umno supreme council member Mohd Puad Zarkashi warned that the decision would only worsen the trust deficit towards Putrajaya.

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