An aide to Najib said the Pekan MP underwent a scope procedure on Saturday where the doctor discovered the ulcers. While it has been a recurring problem for the past 15 years, new ulcers were discovered.

Najib’s special officer, Mukhlis Maghribi, also pointed out that Najib had been hospitalised and even admitted to intensive care in the past over the issue.

“Yesterday, the doctors at Hospital Kuala Lumpur (HKL) did a biopsy which led to some bleeding and several ulcers had to be clipped to stop the bleeding,” Mukhlis said in a statement.

“Najib requested observation at HKL but was denied and the doctor discharged him, changed his medication from the usual one that he had been taking for years, and sent him back to Kajang prison.”

The change in medicine was what caused Najib’s blood pressure to surge, prompting the prosecution to request for a half-day hearing of his 1MDB trial earlier today so that he could be brought to Kajang Hospital.

“On humanitarian grounds, Najib’s family pleads with the prisons department, the hospital and Ismail Sabri Yaakob’s government to do the right thing and allow him to be given proper medical care and observation,” Mukhlis said.

During proceedings this morning, ad hoc prosecutor Gopal Sri Ram said Najib’s health was “quite bad” due to adverse effects from a change in hypertension medicine.

He had requested a half-day trial as Najib needed to be taken to Kajang Hospital at 2pm.

Trial judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah allowed the prosecution’s request.

Najib is standing trial on 25 charges of abuse of power and money laundering over alleged 1MDB funds amounting to RM2.28 billion deposited into his AmBank accounts between February 2011 and December 2014.

The former prime minister, who was taken to Kajang prison to serve his sentence over the SRC International corruption case last month, was present in court today.