KUALA LUMPUR: Former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak has denied taking selfies during court proceedings but defended that he used his handphone as a mirror to check his personal appearance.
The issue was raised by ad hoc prosecutor Datuk V. Sithambaram who requested the court to issue a directive or guideline following a widely circulated news report saying Najib had taken selfies during his trial.
Najib’s lead counsel Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah stood up and said the report was published by news portal The Edge and had pointed out the reporter who sat at the public gallery.
“From where he (the reporter) was sitting, he seemed to be able to conclude that Najib was taking a selfie and in fact he is able to say (in his story) that Najib looked sad from behind (Najib is sitting in the dock, where the reporter could see Najib from the back).
“I just asked him (Najib) and he said he never do that as he looked at it as a mirror, because he got something sharp somewhere in his eyebrow,“ said Muhammad Shafee before Najib’s trial commenced during the afternoon session before High Court Judge Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali.
Muhammad Shafee stressed that the reporting was not welcomed and described that the reporters (media) had nothing else to write or were bored to follow the proceedings.
“If they wanted to be treated as the fourth estate, they should not behave like estate people,“ he added.
Sithambaram replied that the issue before the court was whether a selfie was indeed taken or otherwise.
Muhammad Shafee then requested the court to ask his client on the matter.
Justice Mohd Nazlan : Can we ask him (Najib) whether he did or not taking selfies.
Najib : Yang Arif I used it (handphone) as a mirror to check my personal appearance, that’s all.
Justice Mohd Nazlan then said he accepted Najib’s explanation and reminded all parties that photography and recording were not allowed in court.
“I would like to remind, because a general reminder on the issue had been submitted in this court, I must again emphasise that it is a court rule that any form of recording or photography is not allowed in court.
“If selfies were taken just now, which the accused has said he did not do it, it would be contempt of court,“ he said adding that if anyone was caught taking pictures in the open court they would be dealt (with) seriously including (he or she) had to surrender the phone to court.
The judge also said the sanctity of court proceedings must always be respected. — Bernama
