Rais charged with sedition, Najib back in court after conditional pardon [WATCH]

KUALA LUMPUR: Former Dewan Negara president Tan Sri Rais Yatim was charged with sedition in relation to the current Negri Sembilan constitutional crisis.

The 84-year-old was accused of uttering seditious statements relating to Tunku Nadzaruddin Tuanku Jaafar being made the 12th Yang di-Pertuan Besar of Negri Sembilan.

There were also interesting developments this week with Datuk Seri Najib Razak returning to court after the Pardons Board's decision allowing him to serve the remainder of his SRC International prison sentence at home.

Then there was former Tabung Haji chief operating officer Datuk Adi Azuan Abdul Ghani who was charged with four counts of accepting over RM300,000 in house renovation costs.

Below are the major court cases this week.

RAIS CHARGED WITH SEDITION IN RELATION to NEGRI CONSTITUTIONAL CRISIS

In Melaka,Rais, who is also Parti Wawasan Negara chairman pleaded not guilty at the Ayer Keroh Sessions Court to a charge under the Sedition Act.

The veteran politician who had been vocal about the Negri Sembilan constitutional dispute, became the first person to be charged with sedition in connection with crisis.

The 84-year-old former Jelebu member of parliament pleaded not guilty to a charge of allegedly uttering seditious words relating to the proclamation of Tunku Nadzaruddin Tuanku Ja'afar as the 12th Yang di-Pertuan Besar of Negri Sembilan.

The charge, framed under paragraph 4(1)(b) of the Sedition Act 1948 and punishable under subsection 4(1), carries a fine of up to RM5,000, a maximum jail term of three years, or both upon conviction.

Rais was granted RM8,000 bail with one surety and will return to court on Oct 27 for mention.

NAJIB APPLIES FOR STAY IN 1MDB CASE

Najib, 73, was in court seeking a stay of execution of his 15-year jail sentence and RM11.38 billion fine in the RM2.28 billion 1Malaysia Development Berhad case. The application will be heard on Oct 14.

Najib is appealing against his conviction and sentence on four charges of abuse of power and 21 counts of money laundering.

His 15-year prison sentence in the 1MDB case was ordered to begin after he completes his current sentence in the SRC International case.

FORMER TABUNG HAJI COO BACK IN COURT

Former Tabung Haji chief operating officer Datuk Adi Azuan Abdul Ghani was charged with four counts of accepting over RM300,000 in house renovation costs.

Adi Azuan was accused of accepting more than RM302,000 in renovation costs for four houses in 2017.

The 56-year-old, who retired from Tabung Haji in 2025, allegedly accepted the bribes while serving as a public servant, from AG Reka Sdn Bhd director Thamsulazri Ismail, whom he knew had a connection with his official duties.

The father of four was allowed a RM50,000 bail with two sureties and is set to return to court on Nov 25 for mention.

PROSECUTION FILES APPEAL IN BANDAR UTAMA SCHOOL MURDER

The Bandar Utama school murder case remained in the spotlight after Shah Alam High Court judge Adlin Abdul Majid released her 77-page grounds of judgment.

It revealed how she came to her decision to acquit a 15-year-old boy accused of killing his 16-year-old schoolmate, who suffered 180 to 200 stab wounds in a Bandar Utama girls toilet on Oct 14 last year.

Adlin found that the teenager was suffering from severe early-onset schizophrenia and was of unsound mind when the incident occurred.

She said the evidence showed symptoms had been present from a young age but had gone unrecognised and untreated for five years.

She said Hospital Bahagia Ulu Kinta director and consultant forensic psychiatrist Dr Ian Lloyd Anthony had diagnosed the boy with schizophrenia, of very early onset (before the age of 13) with psychopathic and sadistic traits.

The prosecution has since appealed to the Court of Appeal against the acquittal.

ANWAR SETTLES DEFAMATION SUIT

A case management at the High Court for Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's 2023 defamation suit against Pendang MP Datuk Awang Solahuddin Hashim turned into a settlement when both parties reached an amicable resolution.

Anwar and Awang Solahuddin said they had decided to resolve the dispute after considering the litigation costs to be incurred by both sides.

They also said there were matters of greater importance and deserving of priority in the interests of the people and the country.

As part of the settlement, Awang Solahuddin agreed to withdraw the statements that formed the basis of the suit and not to repeat or republish them.

Anwar, meanwhile, agreed to withdraw the suit without an order as to costs and without liberty to file a fresh action in relation to the same matter.

Awang Solahuddin had claimed that Anwar was more vindictive than former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

In turn, Anwar contended that the remarks were malicious, untrue, defamatory and slanderous.