The decision was delivered by a three-member bench comprising Justices Wong Kian Kheong, Firuz Jaffril and Nadzarin Wok Nordin.
Bernama reported that Najib’s counsel Wan Arfan Wan Othman moved an ex parte application for an order to secure his client’s attendance at the hearings. Lawyer M Naresh was also present.
The first appeal arose from a defamation suit filed by health minister Dzulkefly Ahmad against Najib, in which Dzulkefly challenged the High Court’s dismissal of his application to recuse judicial commissioner Arziah Apandi from hearing the case.
Dzulkefly filed the suit in his personal capacity in 2022, accusing Najib of publishing a defamatory Facebook post on Aug 24, 2020 in relation to claims of cronyism.
In July last year, Arziah dismissed Dzulkefly’s application seeking her recusal from presiding over the case.
The second appeal was brought by Najib after the High Court dismissed his application last September for leave to commence contempt proceedings against former attorney-general Ahmad Terrirudin Salleh, who is now a Federal Court judge.
The application concerned an alleged addendum said to have permitted him to serve his prison sentence under house arrest.
The appeal in Dzulkefly’s suit is scheduled to be heard on Feb 24, while Najib’s appeal is fixed for March 13.
Najib, 72, is currently serving a six-year prison sentence in the SRC International Sdn Bhd case. His original 12-year jail term was halved by the pardons board in February 2024, and his RM210 million fine reduced to RM50 million.
Najib was also convicted by the High Court of abuse of power and money laundering linked to 1MDB, for which he was sentenced to 15 years in prison. The former Pekan MP has appealed that decision.
During today’s proceedings, Wan Arfan raised no objection to Wong and Firuz sitting on the panel after their disclosures.
Wong said he previously sat on the Court of Appeal panel that heard Najib’s appeal against former attorney-general Tommy Thomas, and that his wife had served as law revision commissioner when Terrirudin was the attorney-general.
Firuz disclosed that he was among the judges in the majority decision of the Court of Appeal in January last year concerning Najib’s appeal related to the alleged addendum.