Malaysia’s ex-PM Najib hospitalised, 1MDB trial postponed
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The trial, which has been delayed several times due to Najib's various health issues, will resume on Sept 12.
PHOTOS: AFP, REUTERS
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KUALA LUMPUR - The 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) trial involving former prime minister Najib Razak was postponed for two days because he was admitted to Kuala Lumpur Hospital on Sept 9 for acute knee pain.
The hospital’s senior orthopaedic consultant Siti Hawa Tahir told the High Court that the Prisons Department had referred Najib to her following a complaint of acute pain in his right knee.
She said the 71-year-old Najib was “given a two-day medical certificate” and provided with “a strong analgesic for his pain”.
She also told Justice Collin Lawrence Sequerah, who is the presiding judge in Najib’s 1MDB trial, on Sept 10 that Najib is currently “on opioids and we want him to be able to walk comfortably with no other complications”.
Dr Siti Hawa, who has more than 30 years’ experience, said opioids act on the brain and Najib has had complaints of drowsiness since he was prescribed the medication on the night of Sept 9.
“There were probably other symptoms as well, but I have not seen him this morning,” said Dr Siti Hawa when testifying on the witness stand.
The trial will resume on Sept 12.
Najib’s 1MDB trial has been postponed several times before due to various health conditions. The trial was postponed once in September 2019 when Najib had an eye infection, and once in October 2019, when he continued to have eye-related issues.
In September 2022, the trial was deferred because he was on sick leave because of high blood pressure. In May 2023, the trial was postponed because he was on three days of sick leave for diarrhoea. THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
