NAJIB Razak, who is serving a 12-year jail term for corruption, has been allowed to attend court tomorrow to follow the appeal proceedings pertaining to his lawsuit against former attorney-general Tommy Thomas for alleged misfeasance in public office.

A three-member bench of the Court of Appeal comprising Justices Kamaludin Md Said, Lim Chong Fong and Azizul Azmi Adnan allowed Najib’s ex parte application for the prison authority to bring him to court for the proceedings.

Najib’s lawyer Firoz Hussein Ahmad Jamaluddin told the court the former prime minister’s presence in court was essential to enable his counsel to get appropriate instructions from Najib on the appeal.

He also said it was Najib’s right, as the person who filed the lawsuit, to attend proceedings in open court.

Najib, 69, is appealing against the High Court’s decision on August 19 last year dismissing his application to disqualify two lawyers from representing Thomas in his suit against the latter.

Najib claimed it was not appropriate to appoint Alan Adrian Gomez and Lai Wei Shiung to represent Thomas as they were from the same firm as the former attorney-general.

Najib sued Thomas, claiming he had been charged in court in the case of 1Malaysia Development Bhd, International Petroleum Investment Company, abuse of power under the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act 2009 and money-laundering under the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001.

Thomas was the attorney-general from June 4, 2018 to February 28, 2020. 

The former Pekan MP claimed the charges against him were part of a move that had been planned in advance by Thomas, and it was also in line with the Pakatan Harapan government’s plan at the time.

Najib is seeking a declaration that Thomas had committed misfeasance in public office and is claiming RM1.9 million in damages, including to cover consultation fees for the audit team to review documentation for preparation of facts to address the prosecution against him. 

On November 25 last year, the High Court allowed Thomas’ application to strike out Najib’s suit against him. Najib filed a notice of appeal on December 22 last year. 

The Court of Appeal has fixed October 4 to hear Najib’s appeal against the High Court’s dismissal of his suit against Thomas.

Najib is serving the 12-year jail term for his SRC International Sdn Bhd case at the Kajang prison. – Bernama, July 10, 2023.