THE government’s bankruptcy notice against Najib Razak is a clear political motive to disqualify him from elections and party posts, said his lawyer Muhammad Shafee Abdullah.

The lawyer said his client was informed two days after the Umno general assembly had ended on March 28 about the service of bankruptcy notice.

This, he said, had come right after Umno had decided at the general assembly to break away from the current ruling party Bersatu for the next general election. 

“So it is quite clear this is an abuse of process, this is clear intimidation. If it is not a legal authority doing it, it will be a criminal act,” Shafee told reporters after Najib’s appeal at the Court of Appeal in Putrajaya this evening. 

“It is quite clear that there are certain people who are trying to disqualify him from any election and position in the party,” he added. 

The former prime minister received a bankruptcy notice on Monday from the Inland Revenue Board for failure to settle outstanding taxes.

The notice was for unpaid taxes amounting to RM1.69 billion, being additional tax arrears for 2011 to 2017.

Shafee also said that he would be filing applications to set aside the bankruptcy notice, and to stay the bankruptcy proceedings on behalf of Najib. 

“We are also asking for a stay against the RM1.69 billion summary judgment order,” he said. 

These applications will be heard by the Kuala Lumpur High Court on June 11. 

The high court on July 22 last year allowed the government to proceed with the summary judgment to recover the additional tax arrears from Najib. – April 8, 2021.