KUALA LUMPUR, July 20 — Datuk Azhar Azizan @ Harun has denied instructing High Court Judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah to grant adjournment for Umno MP Datuk Seri Najib Razak so he can deliver his debate during his 1MDB trial on July 16, last week.

The Dewan Rakyat Speaker told the Lower House this morning when he was queried by Pakatan Harapan (PH) lawmaker and Tanjong Malim MP Chang Lih Kang, that he had made a request for the adjournment.

“His honourable Pekan requested to debate the royal address at 3.40pm. That morning, he requested for adjournment for his trial so he can go to Parliament but it was denied. We have a doctrine of separation of powers.

“Unlike the Parliament in UK, where it is supreme, the powers of the judiciary, executive and legislative here are the same. I made a request to the judge and he gave his consent to allow Pekan to attend Parliament. I did not instruct him,” said Azhar.

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However, Chang pressed the newly minted Speaker and told him that the debate speech could have been postponed to a later date when it did not clash with Najib’s trial.

Pasir Salak MP Datuk Seri Tajuddin Abdul Rahman then interjected, claiming that Chang was raising a petty matter in Parliament.

Chang then demanded if Azhar was setting a new precedent where anyone on trial will be able to obtain leave and attend Parliament sittings in the future.

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An irate Azhar told the Lower House that there were already precedents set on this matter, implying that it was related to certain Opposition leaders.

“I requested his honourable judge’s consideration, I did not give him any instructions,” said Azhar.

Last week, the High Court hearing Najib’s money-laundering and power abuse trial over 1MDB funds skipped lunch in order to hear the case and end proceedings earlier.

Justice Sequerah decided to sit through the customary lunch break, having read a letter received from Azhar.

At around 1.06pm, the judge said that he had managed to view and digest the letter from the Speaker which he was not able to do earlier as he had been hearing the 1MDB trial since morning with only short breaks.

“What I’ve decided to do, if your client’s supposed to be there at 3.30pm, I have decided to go on, continue without lunch break. I’ll stop at 3.15pm. Your client can proceed to Parliament, it’s just around the corner,” he said.

“I must put on record, there’s something on calendar in Parliament. I don’t know what...it wasn’t informed earlier. I don’t want to waste time, I’ll proceed. Unless I’m informed well in advance on the next occasion, I will not be entertaining any more requests for similar adjournment,” he added.