Najib's house arrest order draws mixed reactions from Malacca voters

 

MALACCA POLLS | The High Court's Nov 10 order allowing former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak to serve the remainder of his prison sentence under house arrest has drawn mixed reactions from Malacca voters.

The order came on the same day early voting opened for the state election, meant for military personnel, police personnel, and their spouses to cast their ballots.

In a KiniTV survey, some questioned the court ruling and said it would affect their support for BN, while others remained loyal to the coalition, with one expressing hope that Najib could eventually return to lead the government.

“Honestly, I don't agree with him being released, because even the debts this country already has haven't been settled,” said trader Izzat.

“I don't want to vote for BN because I don't agree with (supporting) a robber,” added fellow trader Ali.

Food delivery rider Khairul Azizi acknowledged Najib's past contributions but remained concerned about the consequences of the 1MDB scandal.

“Maybe he helped the people a lot, but in the end, the people are the ones who will bear the 1MDB debt for decades to come. So that's a fact,” he said.

Khairul had yet to decide whether the development would affect his vote, saying he was also dissatisfied with the parties currently in power.

“Maybe we need a third force,” he said.

However, other respondents remained supportive of Najib and BN.

Jamal, a trishaw rider, said he would continue supporting BN and hoped the coalition would win the state election, describing Najib as a “clever man”.

Wan, a mascot worker, expressed hope that Najib could eventually return to lead the government, drawing comparisons with Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, who returned to politics after serving a prison sentence.

“Maybe he's like what Anwar was. Anwar was jailed, now Anwar's out, and he's doing all kinds of reform. Maybe Najib will do things differently from the others,” he said.

Siti, a cleaning worker, also said the ruling would not change her vote, citing government assistance she continued to receive, including the Rahmah Basic Contribution (Sara) programme.

The court ruling

The move from prison to house arrest came four days after Najib paid his RM50 million fine. At the time, the Attorney-General's Chambers (AGC) sought to temporarily defer Najib's transfer home pending clarification of a conditional pardon granted by Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar on Sept 18.

The conditional pardon allowed Najib to serve the remainder of his sentence under house arrest, subject to payment of the fine.

Najib's sentence stemmed from his conviction in the SRC International case, involving RM42 million belonging to the former 1MDB subsidiary. The Kuala Lumpur High Court sentenced him to 12 years' imprisonment and fined him RM210 million on July 28, 2020.

The Court of Appeal upheld the conviction and sentence, before the Federal Court dismissed his final appeal on Aug 23, 2022. Najib began serving his sentence at Kajang Prison that day.

On Jan 29, 2024, the Pardons Board reduced his prison term to six years and his fine to RM50 million. His sentence was due to end on Aug 23, 2028, with an additional year in prison if he failed to pay the reduced fine.

Najib was also sentenced to 15 years' imprisonment in a separate 1MDB case, with the sentence to begin after he completes his SRC sentence.

BN is contesting 23 seats in the Malacca state election, with polling scheduled for Nov 14. - Mkini