He also said the matter was not brought up during today’s Cabinet meeting.
“It was not discussed. The Cabinet did not instruct the AGC (to apply for the order),” he said at a press conference here after today’s Cabinet meeting.
Fahmi was asked if the Cabinet had agreed with the AGC’s request for the gag order.
On Monday, senior federal counsel Shamsul Bolhassan said the government had applied to the High Court for the order and asked that it remain in force pending the outcome of the hearing.
Shamsul, who spoke to reporters after a case management before Justice Hayatul Akmal Abdul Aziz, said the government applied for the gag order as the hearing touches on “sensitive issues”.
Shamsul said the judge took note of the objection raised by Najib’s lead counsel Shafee Abdullah when he made an oral application for the order. Hayatul then directed the government to file a formal application by Jan 20.
Last week, the Court of Appeal granted Najib leave to pursue his judicial review application to compel the government to execute a supplementary decree issued by the former king allowing him to serve the remainder of his jail term under house arrest.
The appeals court also permitted him to adduce new evidence to show the existence of a supplementary decree issued by former Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah placing him under house arrest when the merits of his case are heard in the High Court.
The Federal Territories Pardons Board (FTPB) announced on Feb 2 last year that Najib’s prison sentence in his SRC International case had been halved from 12 years to six, and his fine reduced from RM210 million to RM50 million.
Najib claimed that the former king, during an FTPB meeting on Jan 29, 2024, also issued a supplementary decree allowing him to serve the remainder of his reduced jail term under house arrest.
He said the FTPB had omitted to announce the terms of the supplementary decree, and that the government was in contempt for not complying with it.
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim previously said the house arrest decree, dated Jan 29, 2024, was sent to then attorney-general Ahmad Terrirudin Salleh.
Anwar said Terrirudin sent it to Istana Negara after Sultan Ibrahim was sworn in as the 17th Yang di-Pertuan Agong on Jan 31, 2024.