“Anwar cannot be unaware of royal addendum”– Hamzah

SHAH ALAM - Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim could not possibly be unaware of the existence of the royal addendum granted by the 16th Yang di-Pertuan Agong to Datuk Seri Najib Razak, says Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin.

The Opposition Leader said that the head of the government was fully responsible for implementing any decrees from the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, including the addendum.

“The Court of Appeal's decision today proves that certain parties deliberately concealed this matter and betrayed the principle of transparency that the government should uphold.

“As Prime Minister, he is bound by the oath of allegiance to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong and the Federal Constitution.

“Any act of defiance, concealment, or denial of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong's decree constitutes a grave betrayal of the King and the nation,” he said in a statement on Monday.

Previously, Najib’s defence team informed the Court of Appeal that the addendum, which allowed the former prime minister to serve the remaining six years of his prison sentence under house arrest, was concealed from the public.

Lawyer Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah claimed that the order existed and was personally signed by the 16th Yang di-Pertuan Agong.

He said Najib’s eldest son, Datuk Mohamad Nizar, also confirmed the existence of the addendum from the Pahang Palace.

He also read out a letter from the Pahang Royal Council dated Jan 4, which was addressed to Nizar, who is also a member of the Pahang State Executive Council.

Reportedly, the contents of the letter included an acknowledgement of the existence and validity of the addendum dated Jan 29, 2024.

The defence team expected the former Pekan Member of Parliament to be released from prison within a month.