KUALA LUMPUR, April 19 — Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi issued an affidavit in support of ex-prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak in the former’s capacity as Umno president, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said today.

Commenting on his deputy’s affidavit filed in Najib’s application for judicial review of his partial pardon, Anwar said it was Zahid’s prerogative to do so.

"He (submitted the affidavit) in his capacity as the Umno president, and the attorney general represented the Pardons Board,” Anwar was quoted as saying by the Malaysiakini news portal.

"We remain steadfast that all decisions involving the Malay Rulers cannot be challenged. I do not wish to comment further as this has been our (the government’s) principle since independence.”

On Wednesday, Zahid was identified as the "critical” witness supporting Najib’s bid to compel the federal government and the Pardons Board to produce a purported "supplementary order” from the previous Yang di-Pertuan Agong.

Zahid’s affidavit also claimed that Minister of Investment, Trade, and Industry Senator Datuk Seri Tengku Zafrul Aziz had affirmed the existence of the supplementary order.

Tengku Zafrul subsequently said he would apply to "correct certain factual errors,” but did not specify the errors.

In his application for leave to seek judicial review filed on April 1, Najib claimed the former Agong issued the order during the January 29 meeting of the board, for the former to serve the remainder of his reduced sentence under house arrest.

On February 2, the Pardon’s Board halved Najib’s sentence from a 12-year prison term to six years for misappropriating funds amounting to RM42 million, which means he may be released earlier on August 23, 2028.