Najib house arrest a royal decree, Akmal reminds Lip Eng

Umno Youth chief Dr Akmal Saleh has told Kepong MP Lim Lip Eng to know his place after the latter pushed against calls to have jailed ex-prime minister Najib Abdul Razak serve the remainder of his prison term on house arrest.

Akmal reminded Lim that the house arrest is a royal decree issued when the previous Yang di-Pertuan Agong was still on the throne.

"Who are you to deny the decree by the Agong?" he said on Facebook.

He cited Articles 42(1) and 42(2), which grant the king authority to issue pardons, and reduce or remit sentences.

Taking another potshot, Akmal jibed that Lim either did not understand the Federal Constitution or was pretending not to.

Najib is in prison after being convicted of corruption in the SRC International case.

Last year, on his final day as the Agong, Pahang's Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah was said to have issued a royal decree granting Najib house arrest.

This addendum was in addition to a Pardons Board decision halving Najib's jail time from 12 years to six, and slashing his fine from RM210 million to RM50 million.

The decree has been the subject of a protracted legal battle, after the former prime minister launched a civil court bid to compel the government to execute the house arrest order.

Umno fights for Najib

On Wednesday, senior federal counsel Shamsul Bolhassan reportedly said the Attorney-General's Chambers did not dispute the addendum’s existence but was challenging how it was submitted as new evidence in Najib’s judicial review application at the High Court.

This prompted Umno to push for the government to place Najib under house arrest.

Lim yesterday said all criminal convictions must be respected and executed without favouritism.

The DAP lawmaker said Umno’s request not only undermines the principles of justice, but also invites the perception that there exists special treatment for influential political figures.

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, meanwhile, said he would leave the matter to the courts.

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