KUALA LUMPUR — Former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak who is serving his 12-year jail sentence is currently hospitalised, Astro Awani reported on Sunday (Sept 4).

The Malay news portal cited an unnamed aide to the convicted former prime minister confirming the hospitalisation to be recent, without disclosing which healthcare facility or the reason for admission.

“Datuk Seri’s condition is stable and he is currently undergoing all the required medical investigations,” the anonymous officer was quoted saying.

Another Malay news portal Media Variasi reported the 69-year-old to be undergoing treatment at Hospital Kuala Lumpur (HKL) for intestinal bleeding.

“For now it is unknown if he will continue to receive treatment at HKL or return to prison,” Media Varisasi quoted an unnamed source said to be close to Najib as saying.

It cited the same source saying that Najib’s jail cell at Kajang Prison was far from where the rest of the other inmates are held, and purportedly lacked the facilities to support Najib’s health compared to Sungai Buloh Prison where opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim was previously imprisoned.

According to the source, there was no “plug” to accommodate a breathing apparatus for the Pekan MP while he sleeps and only a fan that is switched on round the clock.

“Kajang Prison does not have facilities to support his medical needs. At any time, Najib feels ill and his life is at stake.

“Prison officers have been instructed to give the former prime minister the same treatment accorded to other inmates,” the source was quoted as saying.

Najib has been in prison since Aug 23 when a five-judge panel at the Federal Court uphold his conviction, RM210 million (S$65.3 million) fine and 12-year prison sentence for embezzling RM42 million belonging to SRC International Sdn Bhd.

Najib also faces four other criminal trials related to the 1MDB financial scandal, including two that have yet to start.

Najib has been brought out of prison twice so far to attend two ongoing criminal trials: The first on Aug 25 for the misappropriation of RM2.28 billion from 1MDB, and the next day for his alleged tampering of the auditor-general’s audit report on 1MDB.

He is scheduled to return to the High Court on Monday for the continuation of the main 1MDB trial. MALAY MAIL