Farhan Muhammad Shafee, a member of Najib’s legal team, said the challenge would be mounted on various grounds, including one claiming that there was a substantial delay in filing the Mareva injunction.

He said they were served the legal papers today and were preparing a response to set aside the ex parte order.

The High Court has fixed an inter partes hearing on Feb 21.

“We will be filing the legal papers tomorrow and our client will mount a strong challenge,” he told FMT.

Farhan questioned the timing of the action against Najib, who is facing several 1MDB-related charges.

“The filing of the ex parte injunction is also curious and suspicious,” he said, but declined to elaborate.

Yesterday, the court granted the ex parte injunction that, among others, allowed Najib to withdraw a maximum RM100,000 a month from his bank accounts as living expenses.

However, if he needed more than the amount allowed, he would have to get written permission from 1MDB and Global Diversified Investment Company Ltd (formerly known as 1MDB Global Investments Ltd).

The order also states that Najib must make written disclosures to 1MDB and Global Diversified of assets parked locally or abroad under his name or others.

A Mareva injunction is a court order which effectively freezes assets of a defendant from being dissipated pending the outcome or completion of a legal action.

1MDB and its subsidiaries had filed a multibillion-dollar suit against Najib, who is also a former finance minister, and several other defendants who were former directors or board of advisers in the company.

1MDB and its subsidiaries claim that US$681 million was misappropriated and transferred to Najib’s accounts.