Former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak arrived at Masjid Negara at around 10.30am on Tuesday (April 15) under heavy police escort.
Dressed in a black suit and songkok, Najib entered the main prayer hall through the back entrance used by mosque officials, avoiding the media.
He paid his last respects to his predecessor, Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, for a brief moment and departed at 10.45am. Escorted by Federal Reserve Unit personnel, Najib stood briefly before Abdullah’s casket and offered a short prayer.
He also greeted members of Abdullah’s family before exiting through the same door.
Najib, who is currently attending his 1MDB trial, was granted permission to pay his respects. His defence made the request in a letter to the Prisons Department, submitted to the court, and the prosecution raised no objection.
As an inmate at Kajang Prison, Najib has regularly been transported under tight security to attend his 1MDB trial and other court proceedings.
In August 2022, he was sentenced to 12 years’ jail over SRC International Sdn Bhd’s RM42 million case. The Pardons Board later reduced the sentence to six years.
He has served more than two years and seven months and continues to seek house arrest.
Pak Lah passed away peacefully at the National Heart Institute (IJN) at 7.10pm yesterday, surrounded by loved ones. He was 85.