No campaign from behind bars for Najib

Jailed former prime minister Najib Razak will not be able to issue statements, following an order by the Prison Department barring all inmates from campaigning for the coming polls.

"No statements can be issued by prison inmates," senior director (prison policy) Supri Hashim told reporters on the sideline of an event in Melaka today.

He said the ban covered all inmates, including Najib, who began serving a 12-year sentence on Aug 23 after losing his final appeal in the SRC International case at the Federal Court.

Supri said letters or documents from inmates to their families would also be screened by the department before they are sent out.

"The Prison Department has nothing to do with politics and we discharge our responsibilities regardless of the ruling government," he added.

Since his jailing, there had been claims that Najib was receiving special treatment in prison, including one allegation that the former leader had been placed in a house within the prison grounds. 

Prison authorities have repeatedly denied speculation surrounding Najib's imprisonment.

The claims also brought to light the treatment meted out to PKR chief Anwar Ibrahim, the most senior political leader to be jailed before Najib.

Lats month, MalaysiaNow reported that the opposition leader had been accorded special treatment while serving his jail sentence for a sodomy conviction.

Such treatment included his lawyers bringing in materials for him, as well as smuggling out press statements and letters in the wake of the opposition's move to launch a united campaign at the 14th general election.