By The Straits Times | Created at 2025-01-11 02:54:35 | Updated at 2025-01-11 06:15:40
3 hours ago
PETALING JAYA - An aide to a Malaysian minister has lodged a police report against former minister Khairy Jamaluddin for defamation.
Datuk Suraya Yaacob, who is the political secretary to Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Azalina Othman Said, lodged the police report at the Sentul police station on Jan 10.
This is because Mr Khairy had allegedly claimed that Datuk Seri Azalina had conspired to “hide” the house arrest document on former prime minister Najib Razak’s pardon order.
Ms Suraya said that Mr Khairy’s alleged statement was not only false but had also smeared Ms Azalina’s image, Malay daily Sinar Harian reported.
Mr Khairy, a former health minister, allegedly made the claim on his Keluar Sekejap podcast, which he co-hosts with former Umno information chief Shahril Hamdan.
On Jan 6, the Court of Appeal overturned the dismissal of Najib’s legal attempt to access the document that he says should allow him to serve the rest of his term at home.
The case will go back to the High Court to be heard by another judge.
Following this, the Opposition demanded answers from the government on whether there was a deliberate attempt to conceal the existence of the royal addendum order, with its existence finally confirmed.
Opposition Leader Hamzah Zainudin said the Court of Appeal’s decision showed that certain parties intentionally tried to hide the addendum order.
He charged that defying, concealing or denying the royal decree was a huge act of treachery to the King and nation.
PAS Youth chief Afnan Hamimi Taib Azamudden also called for action against those allegedly concealing the addendum.
Najib’s son, Datuk Mohd Nazifuddin, also questioned why the government hid the royal addendum and did not implement the house arrest.
Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution had said that the Home Ministry and Prisons Department had not received any addendum order related to the former prime minister.
Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil also denied that the government had hidden or concealed the royal addendum order. THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
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