Azalina opposes bid for gag order on addendum

Azalina opposes bid for gag order on addendum

KUALA LUMPUR: Law and institutional reform minister Azalina Othman Said says she is against the government’s move to seek a gag order from the court to bar public discourse on Najib Razak’s bid to compel Putrajaya to execute an addendum order on house arrest.

She said that in her view, a gag order should not be imposed as the matter is already in the public domain and will likely be discussed in the Dewan Rakyat next month.

However, she acknowledged that the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) is likely to have its own reasons for pursuing the order, and stressed that the judiciary should be allowed to make an independent decision on the matter.

“To be fair, I think the AGC has its own legal reasons, and they will file a formal application (for the gag order). So let the court decide on the matter,” she told reporters on the sidelines of the International Political Financing Conference 2025 at Majestic Hotel here.

Azalina also brushed off the claim by PAS secretary-general Takiyuddin Hassan that Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s explanation of the attorney-general’s action exposed the government to a conflict of law and the constitution.

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“The case is in court. Whether someone is right or wrong, is up to the judge. Perhaps Takiyuddin could raise his concerns in his affidavit,” she said.

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Lawyers appearing for MPs from Perikatan Nasional are expected to file a formal application to hold a watching brief in Najib’s judicial review proceedings.

Earlier today, Umno Supreme Council member Puad Zarkashi warned that a gag order from the court would only worsen the trust deficit in the government.

He said it would be in the government’s best interest for the Attorney-General’s Chambers to abandon its pursuit of the order. Otherwise, it risked fuelling the belief that the government was “hiding more secrets”, he said.

Muda had also criticised the government for seeking the gag order, saying Putrajaya should not curb free speech on the matter.