KUALA LUMPUR – An Umno Supreme Council member has voiced concerns about the gag order application by the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) regarding a royal addendum on former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s home imprisonment, saying that such a move would “worsen” trust deficit in the government.
The order would disallow the public, including lawmakers, from talking about the ongoing case.
Datuk Puad Zarkashi said that public reception to such a request by AGC has been too negative, as it makes them believe that the government has “many more secrets to hide” on the addendum issue.
“Social media will be rife with more speculations and negative assumptions (which) would worsen the government’s credibility.
“Therefore, the AGC must withdraw its gag order application since the high court has decided that it must be applied before January 20,” said Puad in a Facebook post.
Yesterday, Scoop reported Najib’s defence counsel Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah as saying that AGC had requested the high court here to issue a prohibitive and gag order during court proceedings held before judge Hayatul Akmal Abdul Aziz.
The judge had ordered the AGC to submit its request via a written application. Shafee told reporters that Najib’s legal team would oppose the application because the addendum order was a public interest issue.
The application was also opposed by lawyer and former Dewan Rakyat speaker Tan Sri Azhar Azizan Harun who held a watching brief for Perikatan Nasional (PN). He questioned how MPs can be prohibited from discussing the matter in Parliament, according to its chief whip Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan.
Takiyuddin also said that the AGC had objected to PN’s application for their appointment for watching briefs.
‘Infringing free speech’
Also slamming AGC’s gag order application is Muda, who said that the move “reflects the government’s fear of maintaining transparency” in the matter when it is a key for a healthy democratic society.
The opposition party also pointed out that Article 10 of the Federal Constitution clearly guarantees freedom of speech for all Malaysians.
“Why use the excuse that (the addendum) touches on ‘sensitive issues’ to restrict public discussions on a matter that touches on the integrity of national institutions?
“On whose orders was the application for this gag order filed?,” asked Muda in a statement.
Muda also questioned the actual motive behind the gag order application.
“Was it to protect public interest or to protect certain individuals from facing accountability from the public?” – January 14, 2025