KUALA LUMPUR: A lawmaker has questioned how Datuk Seri Najib Razak's lawyer was privy to events which happened at the former prime minister's pardon board hearings chaired by the then King, Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri'ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah.
Kepong member of parliament Lim Lip Eng said the Pardons Board and other relevant authorities must deal with Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah's revelations at a press conferenced held outside the Jalan Duta Courts complex yesterday.
He said the Federal Constitution is very clear about the roles played by the Yang Di-Pertuan Agong and members of the Pardons Board.
"Usually the deliberations by the Pardons Board are kept confidential, Shafee has openly revealed how the 16th Yang di-Pertuan Agong (YDPA) carried out a secret ballot on paper.
"I urge the Pardons Board to state clearly in no uncertain terms whether it is allowed under our law for Shafee to announce that the then King was thinking of giving a full pardon to Najib," he said in a statement.
Lim said Shafee had also shown a letter to the media and read it out claiming it to be written from the Pardons Board to Najib.
In the letter, Shafee said the board had - allegedly, on Jan 29 advised the King that Najib should serve out the rest of his sentence.
"Is Shafee also allowed under the law to reveal publicly how the King had conducted a secret ballot during the meeting on Jan 29 to decide whether a full pardon should be granted to Najib?
"It appears as if Shafee was at the meeting on Jan 29 when the Pardons Board met to decide on Najib's fate. Was Shafee invited as an eyewitness at the meeting, or did he make this all up?," he said, adding the onus was on the Pardons Board and relevant authorities to clarify whether the statements made by Shafee were true and if his actions had contravened any law.