KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 23 — The Office of the Chief Registrar of the Federal Court of Malaysia (PKPMP) confirmed the transfer of Judge Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali from the Kuala Lumpur High Court (Crime 3) to the Kuala Lumpur High Court (NCVC 2) effective March 1, 2021.

In a statement today, PKPMP said, this exchange is a common practice for judges. 

"The transfer of YA Mohd Nazlan to the Civil Court is to replace YA Wong Chee Lin who will retire. 

"YA (Yang Arif) Mohd Nazlan was previously a Judge of the Commercial High Court before moving to the Criminal High Court and YA has experience and expertise in matters related to civil and commercial cases. 

"In addition, the cases in Criminal High Court 3 remain only about 30 cases and the Court can be closed. Any criminal case that has been heard by YA Mohd Nazlan will continue to be heard by YA until completed even after the effective date of the exchange on March 1,” said the statement.

The transfer of Nazlan raised eyebrows as he, on July 28 last year, sentenced former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak to a total of 72 years in prison; 12 years for abuse of power and 10 years each for three criminal breach of trust charges and three money laundering charges. 

He also imposed a RM210 million fine on the abuse of power offence charge.

However, the former prime minister would only have to serve 12 years in prison as the judge ordered that the sentences run concurrently.

In the event of a default on the RM210 million fine — which is five times the RM42 million in gratification received by Najib — he would be jailed five more years.

Nazlan was transferred to the criminal court from the commercial division in Aug 2018 taking over Najib’s case from previous judge Justice Mohd Sofian Abd Razak.

Sofian had recused himself from the case after the Malaysian Bar requested it as his brother Pahang state executive councillor and Benta Umno state assemblyman Datuk Seri Mohd Soffi Abdul Razak.

Najib today also reacted to Nazlan’s transfer on his Facebook page.