KUALA LUMPUR: The hearing for an application to call a former 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) CEO to testify against Datuk Seri Najib Razak has been pushed to Friday after Najib’s lead counsel called in sick.

       High Court judge Justice Mohamed Zaini Mazlan was informed by lawyer Rahmat Hazlan yesterday that Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah was down with a high fever and sore throat.

       Rahmat said Muhammad Shafee sounded like Hollywood actor Sean Connery when they spoke on the phone, much to the amusement of the judge.

       Justice Mohamed Zaini then jokingly said the James Bond actor was not a good reference as he had passed away. Deputy public prosecutor Ahmad Akram Gharib had no objection to a postponement.

       Justice Mohamed Zaini then allowed for the hearing to be pushed to Friday.

       Yesterday, the court was scheduled to hear the application by the prosecution under Section 63 of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act 2009 to call former 1MDB CEO Arul Kanda Kandasamy to testify against Najib.

       The section states that in a situation where two or more people are charged with an offence under this same law, the court may require one or more of them to give evidence as witnesses for the prosecution if a written application is made by the public prosecutor.

       Najib, 69, is accused of abusing his position to order amendments to the 1MDB final audit report to avoid any action being taken against him while Arul Kanda, 46, is accused of abetting the former prime minister in making the amendments.

       Both men are charged under Section 23(1) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act 2009, which provides for a jail term of up to 20 years and a fine of no less than five times the amount of gratification or RM10,000, whichever is higher, upon conviction.