After stepping out of the dock following his acquittal on corruption charges in September 2022, the first few words Umno chief Ahmad Zahid Hamidi had for the media were: “I had faith in the judiciary since day one of this trial.”
He faced 40 corruption charges involving the foreign visa system (VLN) contract and was cleared without his defence being called.
For political expediency, he also credited BN and Umno's “struggle” for his acquittal - whatever it was meant.
In January last year, he thundered: “We demand that he is given justice in court. We demand that fair justice is given to (former prime minister) Najib (Abdul Razak),” to the applause of Umno delegates.
Ever since Najib came to Sungai Jelok and walked into the gates of the Kajang Prison in March last year, Zahid upped the ante and the mantra somewhat changed.
Five months later, at another Umno delegates assembly, he told delegates: "God willing, the supreme council, which received its mandate from the divisions, will continue its commitment to defend Najib to ensure he receives justice.”
Why has a man who had declared unequivocally that he had faith in the judiciary made an about-turn and cast aspersions on the integrity of the judiciary?
Sentence reduction
With the recent decision by the Pardons Board to halve Najib’s jail sentence to six years and reduce the fine from a whopping RM210 million to just RM50 million, the voices of unreasonableness have been heard in the media.
Why all the brouhaha when Najib’s RM42 million SRC International case has been done and dusted?
Does Umno and its leader Zahid think a full pardon is an entitlement under the New Economic Policy?
Why then are they crowing that Najib must be given a full pardon?
He has not expressed penitence nor remorse and continues to harp on this non-existent fair trial.
On what basis? The man has been convicted and has exhausted all avenues of appeal and now wants a second bite at the cherry by appealing to the new Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar.
Challenging ‘haters’ to debate
But Najib is not exactly twiddling his thumbs while being incarcerated.
Last week, Najib challenged Bukit Gelugor MP Ramkarpal Singh and other of his “haters” to a televised open debate on the RM42 million SRC International case.
Rightly, it has been dismissed as a waste of time.
“It is pointless engaging with Najib on this issue as it is elementary that the majority judgment of the said application prevails. Even the Pardons Board maintained his conviction,” said Ramkarpal.
Last Sunday, in a statement posted by the administrator of his official Facebook page, Najib also issued the same challenge to his “recent haters”, including senior DAP leader Tony Pua and former Sepang MP Mohamed Hanipa Maidin of Amanah.
If you steal money belonging to the people, all right-thinking Malaysians will not love you but loathe you.
He continues to harp on the sole dissenting decision of the chief judge of Sabah and Sarawak, who concluded that a great injustice has fallen and the correct decision is to acquit and release him.
Having been the prime minister, surely Najib will know and understand the concept of “majority decision” in our appellate courts.
Yes, Najib wants to be in the news and not forgotten. Every opportunity to create headlines like the attempt to get Netflix to remove the documentary “Man on the Run” is yet another example.
Najib remains a convicted felon and whatever happens, especially a debate, will not change anything. He should be grateful he got a hefty discount on his fine and sentence.
What more does he want and what more can he get? Like other prisoners, he should look at what he had done and repent. - Mkini
R NADESWARAN is a veteran journalist who writes on bread-and-butter issues. Comments: citizen.nades22@gmail.com.
The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of MMKtT.
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