The seat for former Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak at the Installation of the 16th Yang di-Pertuan Agong on Tuesday had been determined and not moved at the last minute as claimed, said Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Dr Mujahid Yusof Rawa.
Mujahid, who was Chairman of the Special Committee on the Installation Ceremony of the 16th Yang di-Pertuan Agong, said he had given an official reply to Najib on the allegation.
Najib claimed that he could not attend the function after receiving a call at 6.30am that his seat which should have been number 10 as the former prime minister had been changed at the last minute to the seat for Orang Besar Pahang.
According to Najib, the ceremonial attire for Orang Besar Pahang and that for the former prime minister was not the same and he did not have enough time to take the ceremonial attire for Orang Besar Pahang from Pekan, Pahang.
“The issue was not that it had been moved. The issue (Najib’s seat) had been determined. Then Najib himself had given the excuse that he had to be seated at the place for Orang Besar Pahang. He had to change attire. That is his problem. We have informed much earlier,” said Mujahid.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad today said that Najib was meant to sit at the Orang Besar Pahang row for the Yang di-Pertuan Agong’s coronation ceremony on Tuesday.
When asked to comment on the issue, Mahathir simply told reporters, “That’s his place after all.”
It is up to the palace to decide on the seating arrangements, he added before promptly leaving.
It was earlier reported that Najib and his wife Rosmah Mansor were supposed to sit in the same row as Dr Mahathir, his wife Dr Siti Hasmah Mohd Ali, Deputy Prime Minister Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail and her husband PKR president Anwar Ibrahim.
Najib’s former aide, Isham Jalil, accused Putrajaya of changing the seating arrangement.
Earlier report: July 31, Najib Missed Agong’s Coronation Because of Last-Minute Seat Change