Najib's remarks not related to Mukhriz’s suit against Sariffuddin, says lawyer

Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak’s counsel said that former Kedah menteri besar Mukhriz Mahathir’s application to cite his client for contempt lacks “particularity”.

“If you say (Najib) has been in contempt, where is it that (Najib) has been in contempt?” lawyer Mohd Hafarizam Harun said at the Kuala Lumpur High Court today.

The hearing today, before Justice Ahmad Zaid Ibrahim, was to determine whether Mukhriz had met the requirements to gain leave to cite Najib for contempt.

Mukhriz had earlier filed a leave application for contempt proceedings against Najib for making comments that are allegedly subject to a defamation suit by Mukhriz against Najib’s press secretary Tengku Sariffuddin Tengku Ahmad.

However, Hafarizam argued that Najib’s statement only makes references to Mukhriz’s father Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s alleged intentions to elevate him to the prime minister position.

Mukhriz’s case against Sariffuddin, on the other hand, revolves around a remark on the “highest post in Umno”.

“It has no relations... there is no relation between my client’s (statement) vis-a-vis what is the subject matter of that case,” Hafarizam explained.

He also said that Najib’s statement never mentioned anything about the court proceedings between Mukhriz and Shariffuddin.

Another point he brought up in court was that Mukhriz only demanded an apology from Najib to him, and not to the court.

“So how can you say that I am in contempt of the court because I did not apologise to the court?” he asked.

He said he wants the court to dismiss Mukhriz’s leave application to cite Najib for contempt along with costs.

The decision on the application against Najib has been set on July 27.

Mukhriz had also filed an application to cite Sri Gading MP Abdul Aziz Kaprawi for contempt for similar but separate comments earlier this week.

The hearing for that was set also on July 27, as Abdul Aziz’s lawyer Mithran Poobalan said he needed more time to prepare as he was only informed of this matter earlier today.

On July 7, Najib had claimed that Mahathir is seeking to safeguard his legacy with the hope of making his son, Mukhriz, prime minister.

Meanwhile, Abdul Aziz, who is also deputy transport minister and Umno supreme council member, said the suggestion that Pakatan Harapan needs an interim prime minister could very well be a “trap” to place Mukhriz as prime minister.

Previously, Mukhriz had filed a defamation suit against Shariffuddin for making statements that suggested Mahathir, Muhyiddin and himself conspired to topple a legitimately elected government. - Mkini