Electoral watchdog Bersih today decried Najib Abdul Razak’s judicial review leave application to allow him to serve the remainder of his jail term under house arrest.
This was due to the current practice of house arrests only being granted to those serving minor offences with prison sentences under four years through the Licensed Prisoner Release Programme (PBSL), the Bersih steering committee said.
“However, if prisoners involved in serious crimes like Najib are granted the privilege of house arrest, it would be fairer for this privilege to be extended to other prisoners who are in greater need, particularly female prisoners who have young children.
“Therefore, Bersih emphasises that the principle of equal justice under the law must always be upheld as the primary principle to preserve the sovereignty of the country’s legal system,” it said in a statement this afternoon.
It added that the former finance minister is still facing several other serious criminal charges in court.
On Wednesday, Najib claimed that an addendum in a recent royal pardon allowed him to serve the remaining of his six-year jail term under house arrest.
He made this allegation in a judicial review leave application filed at the Kuala Lumpur High Court on April 1.
The applicant is seeking a court order to compel the home minister, the attorney-general, the Pardons Board, the federal government, and a few other respondents to confirm this alleged addendum in the royal pardon that halved his initial 12-year jail sentence over the RM42 million SRC International corruption case.
According to a copy of the judicial review bid, applicant Najib claimed that the addendum was issued by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong on Jan 29.
No mention of house arrest in pardon decision
Meanwhile, Bersih said there was no mention of a house arrest in the pardon decision dated Feb 2, 2024, as disclosed by Najib’s lawyer Muhammad Shafee Abdullah.
“If there indeed exists an additional section or addendum dated Jan 29, 2024, as claimed by him, why was this not disclosed by his lawyer earlier?”
It added that these recent allegations seem to be setting a new precedent for finalised official Pardon Board decisions to be altered at any time.
In February, the Pardons Board announced that it decided to slash Najib’s jail time from 12 years to six.
This means he would be released from prison on Aug 23, 2028.
In a meeting on Jan 29, the board also slashed the fine slapped on the former Pekan MP from RM210 million to RM50 million.
Najib was locked up in Kajang Prison after being convicted in the RM42 million SRC International corruption case.
The 12-year sentence and conviction were meted out by the High Court and upheld by the Court of Appeal and Federal Court.
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