KUALA LUMPUR (Oct 15): The Court of Appeal will hear an application by Datuk Seri Najib Razak to have his passport temporarily released next Monday.
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According to court documents sighted by theedgemarkets.com, Najib applied to the Court of Appeal on Friday regarding the matter on the same grounds his wife Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor did.
The High Court granted the temporary release of her passport on Friday.
In his application, Najib said that he needs to be with his daughter, Nooryana Najwa, who is due to deliver her second child soon at a private hospital in Singapore.
The former prime minister in the application said that he requests his passport to be returned to him as early as Oct 20, which he would subsequently return by Nov 22.
He added that the temporary release of his passport on Oct 20 would allow him to renew his passport before leaving for Singapore on Nov 3 and coming back to Malaysia by no later than Nov 20.
In his supporting affidavit, Najib said that Nooryana, who lives in Singapore, does not have any other family support other than her husband and four-year-old son.
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“Nooryana is expected to give birth in late October or early November. Since Nooryana is my daughter, I have the responsibility to ensure that she is taken care of and receives the support or treatment needed,” he said.
“Nooryana does not have any other family members in Singapore that can help and accompany her throughout being in labour and eventually delivery.”
The former premier said that Nooryana had experienced serious complications when giving birth to her first child, and added that he had been informed that the delivery of her second child would carry high risks.
Previously, Najib’s passport was impounded by the court after being charged in 2018 with three counts of criminal breach of trust involving RM42 million in SRC International Sdn Bhd, a former subsidiary of 1Malaysia Development Bhd.
On July 28, 2020, the High Court sentenced Najib to 12 years in jail and fined him RM210 million after the former premier was found guilty of seven charges involving SRC, which also included one for abuse of power involving Retirement Fund (Incorporated)’s RM4 billion loans to SRC and three counts of money laundering involving RM27 million.
The former UMNO president is awaiting a decision from the Court of Appeal over his appeal to set aside his conviction and sentence, where submissions were heard last April and May.-The Edge Market