The Prisons Department has refuted claims that former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak is accorded “very special treatment” while serving his sentence in the Kajang prison.
Its director-general Nordin Muhamad stressed every inmate is being treated equally and no “special treatment” is given to anyone, including Najib.
Nordin (above) was quoted as saying by Sinar Harian that all prisoners are managed in accordance with the set rules and standard operating procedures.
“This includes Najib who is currently serving his sentence in Kajang prison. He remains subject to the rules and Prison Act 1995,” he was cited as saying.
Strict action will be taken if any prison officers are found to be giving special treatment to prisoners, Nordin asserted.
“On this matter, we will not compromise at all, we always uphold our legal basis,” he said.
This comes after preacher Wan Ji Wan Hussin, who was recently released after serving his sentence in the Kajang prison, claimed that Najib receives “very special treatment” in jail.
In an exclusive interview with Malaysiakini, Wan Ji alleged that Najib wears “normal” clothes like one would at home, not prisoner garb.
“He is special. Not just special, but ‘very special’,” Wan Ji quipped, further claiming that Najib was housed in a “special block” in the prison.
Wan Ji was fully released from prison on March 22, about six months after he started his nine-month jail term for sedition.
He began serving his jail term on Sept 25 last year over a 2014 sedition case linked to the Selangor sultan.
The preacher was previously let out of prison on Jan 1 under the Licensed Release of Prisoners programme, which allows a prisoner to live outside the jail, albeit with limited mobility, and the need to seek approval to conduct any activities.
Home Ministry must answer
Meanwhile, Muda has urged the Home Ministry to promptly clarify Wan Ji’s claims.
In a statement today, the party questioned if this is the government’s way of dealing with high-profile criminal cases linked to former leaders of the government’s component parties.
“If it’s true, then is it true what the home minister (Saifuddin Nasution Ismail) said about Umno being ‘partners in struggle’?
“Among the examples Umno is ‘partners in struggle’ and needs to be given special treatment is the DNAA accorded to (Umno president) Ahmad Zahid Hamidi. Zahid is the deputy prime minister at the moment.
“Even to this day, there is no statement from the Attorney-General’s Chambers to prosecute Zahid again,” it said.
Muda then reminded Pakatan Harapan that transparency was the coalition’s key agenda during the 15th general election.
“However, the longer this administration governs, more questions - pertaining to transparency and double-standard treatment by Harapan, which is also supported by Umno - arise.”
Najib was jailed for 12 years and fined RM210 million after the Federal Court upheld his sentence and conviction in the SRC International case in August 2022.
He is also on trial for other matters related to the 1MDB scandal.
In February, the Pardons Board cut Najib’s 12-year jail sentence to six and reduced the original RM210 million fine to RM50 million - a whopping 76 percent.
The board’s decision means that the former Pekan MP’s official release date has been brought forward to August 2028.
However, Najib could be released earlier on “good behaviour” in August 2026 after serving two-thirds of his sentence.
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