NAJIB Razak has reiterated that his lawyers needed more time to represent him in the SRC International appeal as he addressed the Federal Court after Chief Justice Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat said the court was ready to deliver its judgment on the case.

The former prime minister pleaded with the court for a two-month postponement so that his lawyers could be prepared to defend him.

The Pekan lawmaker said if given two months, he can assemble a team to get adequate representation for his case.

“The fact of the matter is, I am unrepresented. There has never been a single occasion in Malaysian history where the defence counsel was refused from discharging himself,” he said.

“Let me have my day in court to present the fullest arguments of my case. My life and liberty depend on it.

“This, I must repeat, leaves me with no counsel and I don’t know what to do.

“If given time of at least two months, I am confident I can assemble a team to adequately represent me – perhaps with a combination of my previous counsel and defence counsel Hisyam Teh Poh Teik in a consolidated team.

“In that proposed combination, perhaps Hisyam can be brought up to speed by Shafee & Co to be able to understand the case within two months.

“Yang Amat Arif, on Monday, Hisyam (his defence counsel) said a hearing is like a contest. But right now, it seems like I’m put out of the contest, a contest that affects my liberty. I feel this is not cricket at all as there is total unfairness executed on me.”

The former finance minister said his initial plan after the Court of Appeal decision was to hire Jonathan Laidlaw QC to come onboard with Shafee & Co and for Laidlaw to work together with Shafee.

He said Laidlaw came with the highest of recommendations and he was confident that he would be a positive contribution to the team.

“It is important to bear in mind here, the QC was prepared for purposes of the hearing of this appeal starting on August 15, 2022. Fees for his services were paid. This should deliver the message to this court that I was serious with the appeal to go on the 15th,” he said.

But Najib said his application for Laidlaw was rejected and that course was closed to him

He said Teh had taken up his case with the most noble of intentions, but could not represent him effectively as he never had adequate time to prepare for the appeal.

“Since your decision last week, I have called up various counsel to find alternative representation, but considering the decision and grounds of this honourable court last Tuesday (August 16), nobody is able or willing to take up my appeal, unless adequate time is given to that, as was being requested by Hisyam,” he told the court.

Najib said compared to Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim’s appeal, his case has taken a fast track while Anwar’s took seven years.

“In fact, comparing my case to that of the last high-profile case of Anwar Ibrahim, it can be said that my appeal has taken a fast track to reach here. Anwar took seven years with over 70 adjournments to get to this stage,” he said.

“The SRC case has taken four years, two years of which were affected by the Covid-19 pandemic and no fewer than seven other proceedings, criminal and civil against me. As I have said, I have also never sought for an adjournment in this appeal apart from the ones following my change of solicitors and counsel.” – August 23, 2022.