KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk Seri Najib Razak today filed contempt proceedings against DAP stalwart Lim Kit Siang, an English-language news portal and its journalist over an article on the former Prime Minister’s ongoing SRC International Sdn Bhd corruption trial.
Najib, through Messrs Shafee & Co named Kit Siang, Malay Mail and its journalist Emmanuel Santa Maria Chin as the respondents.
The article, titled “Kit Siang: High Court decision on Najib and Tanjung Piai by-election outcome will indicate where Malaysia is headed towards” was published by the news portal on Nov 9 this year.
In his supporting affidavit, Najib claimed that Kit Siang’s statements and the article were published to bring pressure to bear on the court to decide against him in the criminal case.
“Both the article and the statement (were designed to)… weaken and undermine the power of this court, as well as interfere and obstruct in the course of justice and exert unnecessary pressure on this court.
“It also appeared to have (been) a form of threat and intimidation to this court, whereby if this court (were to) find that I (am) not guilty and decides not to call for a defence, it automatically means that the global kleptocracy would make a comeback in Malaysia,” he said.
Najib said that this sort of “threat and intimidation”, especially in an on-going proceeding, were obviously designed to pervert the course of justice and therefore constitute an interference in the judicial process.
He said the article, when read as a whole, amounts to a serious contempt of court and is also an unwarranted attack on the Malaysian judiciary.
“Hence, a notice to show cause shall be issued by this court against the respondents,” he said.
Najib, 66, is facing seven charges of criminal breach of trust, abuse of power and money-laundering involving RM42 million of SRC International funds.
The Pekan MP is charged with committing the offences between Aug 17, 2011, and Feb 10, 2015.
He faces 20 years’ jail and a fine for the offences, if convicted.