FORMER prime minister Najib Razak, said he was taking a break amid news that he and wife Rosmah Mansor had been barred by the Immigration Department from leaving the country.

“After over four decades in politics and the recent election campaign, which was regrettably personal and perhaps the most intense in Malaysian history, I will take a short break to spend time with my family whom I have not seen enough of in recent years,” he posted on Twitter and Facebook about 8am today.

The press are currently encamped at the Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport in Subang waiting to see if Najib and Rosmah will board a private jet at 10am to take them to Jakarta.

This comes after details of a passenger manifest and crew sheet for the private jet, reportedly owned by Indonesian tycoon and close Najib associate, Peter Sondakh, was leaked last night.

However, Malaysiakini had reported earlier that a check on the Immigration website using Najib and Rosmah’s identity card numbers showed that they had to refer to the department before being able to travel.

In the rest of his Facebook post, Najib said he and BN were “committed to respecting the will of the people and facilitating a smooth transfer of power”. 

“I pray that after this divisive period, the country will unite. I apologise for any shortcomings and mistakes, and I thank you, the people, for the opportunity to lead our great nation. It has been the honour of my lifetime to serve you and Malaysia.” – May 12, 2018.