IT is baffling that Najib Razak is free to roam around the country and enjoying special treatment despite being found guilty of corruption, Dr Mahathir Mohamad said today.

“He looks healthy, he goes here and there, but to court, he could not make it. He can even obtain his passport but was able to postpone his trip to Singapore. What kind of government is this?” asked the Pejuang chairman in a press conference.

Last week, the Court of Appeal allowed Najib’s impounded passport to be returned temporarily for him to travel to Singapore to visit his pregnant daughter, Nooryana Najwa.

However, Najib has sought a fresh court application to delay his trip to the republic to allow him to oversee Umno’s preparations for the Malacca state elections.

Dr Mahathir asked why there was a delay in committing Najib to jail as he had been convicted and sentenced.

“At first, it was said that the appeal for his sentencing was rejected and the hearing was supposed to commence in April, but now is October,” said Dr Mahathir.

On July 28 last year, the Kuala Lumpur High Court convicted the former prime minister of criminal breach of trust, money laundering and power abuse, involving RM42 million belonging to 1MDB subsidiary SRC International. 

He was sentenced to 12 years in jail and fined RM210 million.

Najib is currently appealing the conviction. He also faces other criminal cases. – October 25, 2021.