Najib’s trial should be telecast live, says Shafee

Bede Hong Bede Hong Updated 7 years ago · Published on 31 Oct 2018 5:04PM · 7 Comments

Supporters greeting former prime minister Najib Razak at the Kuala Lumpur court complex today. – The Malaysian Insight pic by Nazir Sufari, October 31, 2018.

THE trial of former prime minister Najib Razak, who is facing a total of 38 charges related to troubled state fund 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) and affiliated units, should be aired lived, said his lawyer Shafee Abdullah.

“I think it’s a good idea. Let people know what the trial is about,” he told reporters.

“For me, I’ve got no issue. I think everything should be transparent. Nothing to hide.”

A Change.org petition was started as early as July to communications minister Gobind Singh Deo to air the trial live. However, there were no signatories to the petition.

Earlier, Shafee shot down a request by the prosecution team, led by special prosecutor Sulaiman Abdullah, to change the venue of the trial to the Palace of Justice from the Kuala Lumpur court complex.

“They wrote a letter requesting. It was very long. We replied with a longer letter saying we shouldn’t. We should have it here (KL Court),” he said. 

“This is a bigger court that in Putrajaya. You can put three Putrajaya (courts) inside. So why you want to transfer there? Putrajaya has only eight courts.

“We’ve got here, 38 high courts. And then you have 27 sessions courts. And then you have another 30 magistrate’s courts,” he said, adding that there are 12 unused courts.

“This is the bigger court,” he said.

Chief Judge of Malaya Zaharah Ibrahim will rule on the request of venue change at an undetermined date.  

Today, Kuala Lumpur High Court judge Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali allowed the case transfer of 25 of Najib’s charges from the Sessions Court to the High Court.  

Najib appeared in the dock, while wife Rosmah Mansor sat in the public gallery.

He was later greeted by shouts of “Long live Najib” by 50 supporters as he left the court. – October 31, 2018.

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Comments

  • When Jibby was PM, the Nothing To Hide was thwarted by Ex-IGP Khalid Abu Bakar many a times. Jibby used Khalid to shield himself from the embarrassment. Over the weekend, Jibby embarrassed himself again with the scene at the Al Jazeera interview with Ms. Jolley. I personally would like to see this trial live and all other trials involving all those top BN guns being charged namely Bijan, Zahid, Irwan, Shafee, and don't forget Rosmah, Ku Nan, Annuar Musa, Tajuddin, Jamal Jamban, Arul Kandasamy, Khalid Abu Bakar, and others going to be charged.

    Posted 7 years ago by Ryan Li · Reply

  • about 50 supporters only at the court what a shameful number 2 bus load of paid supporters as compared to the hundreds of supporters at Jibby's FB page, hahahahahahahaha LOL clearly shows those at FB are paid cyber troopers - where are those couple of hundreds people who used to carry the I love PM?? Guess they wont be coming as they were not paid during the last event.

    Posted 7 years ago by Teruna Kelana · Reply

  • God bless Malaysia and all decent Malaysians

    Posted 7 years ago by Concerned Citizen · Reply

  • Let Shafee have his fun. Please telecast the re-trial of Altantuya's murder as well.

    Posted 7 years ago by Roger 5201 · Reply

  • Shafee thinks he runs the Courts and the judiciary in this country. He has the gall to demand that he and his client be given free publicity. Even in the US and UK, court cases are never telecast live. This lowlife has the gall to act like a celebrity when he is in fact a nefarious fixer and a money launderer. The Court Registrar should hear his money laundering case first before the big one involving 1MDB in February. Then he can have all the notoriety and disgrace he deserves in Sg Buloh prison.

    Posted 7 years ago by Panchen Low · Reply

  • Are you sure that he wouldn't lose his cool, then storm out. And you Shaffee, you'll be behind bars soon-jail Lawyer. You may have fixed Anwar but now you reap what you sow.... RM9m & a diplomatic passport will be your necklace.

    Posted 7 years ago by Ghifari Mukhtar · Reply

  • PREVIOUS MEDIA REPORTS THAT MANY ARE CORRUPT IN MALAYSIA. Live telecast may help illustrate what is corruption? ALSO REPORTED THAT THE YOUNGER MALAYSIANS DON'T KNOW WHAT IS CORRUPTION, they just do what they are told, and follow the older corrupt bosses..

    Posted 7 years ago by MELVILLE JAYATHISSA · Reply