Imprisoned Najib now continuing post-grad studies, has no access to gadgets: M'sian Home Minister Saifuddin

KUALA LUMPUR — Former prime minister Najib Razak has not been allowed any access to gadgets while imprisoned, and he has signed up for post-graduate studies while serving his 12-year jail term over the misappropriation of SRC International's RM42 million (S$12.6 million), Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail confirmed.

In an exclusive interview with local daily Sin Chew Daily, Mr Saifuddin confirmed that Mr Najib is not allowed to use a laptop or access the internet while in Kajang Prison, but suggested that it was still possible for him to post social media posts through his social media team doing so on his behalf as long as they are able to access his social media accounts.

“Doesn’t mean that when he is locked up in Kajang Prison, he cannot. He has his media team, it’s not something that is odd now. They have the password, access (to his) user name, it can be done.

“So does he have that facility? The answer is no. He doesn’t have, take it from me, the most legitimate and authoritative source, he doesn’t have any access to any gadget,” he said in brief excerpts of the interview that were shown in a video by Sin Chew Daily’s Pocketimes that accompanied the news report.

Mr Saifuddin was responding to a question on Mr Najib’s Facebook account continuing to have new posts even while he is in prison.

The minister also said there was no law to stop Mr Najib from expressing his views, noting that Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim had in the past also expressed his views when he was a prisoner.

“There are no laws stopping him from giving his views. Like Datuk Seri Anwar previously, was also in prison, his method was when he had the chance to be outside to attend court cases, he would make spontaneous statements or he would make notes to be published, it’s the same. So we should not block him from expressing,” he said in the video.

As for what Mr Najib is doing now, Mr Saifuddin said in the video: “Datuk Najib, now, he fills his time by continuing his studies. He is now continuing his studies at the post-graduate level.”

The minister also explained that there are prisoners who obtain a Masters’ degree or even complete their PhD studies by the time they finish serving their jail term at Kajang Prison. MALAY MAIL