Malaysians smell a rat over Pardons Board delay

 

The Pardons Board is paralysed with fear, hence their delay in making public the decision about convicted felon Najib Abdul Razak’s application for a royal pardon. If they thought that the delay would calm us down, they were mistaken.

Was the board stupid enough to grant Najib a full pardon? Did the Board members think that perhaps, we would have happily agreed to a reduced sentence for Najib, instead?

Any attempt to pardon Najib or commute his sentence is to show contempt for our Constitution and disrespect for the justice system and the rule of law. It is like slapping the community in the face.

The board cannot take us for fools. Najib is no ordinary convict but a megalomaniac who brought a nation to its knees with the help of his trusted aide, who remains at large.

At the time of writing this piece, we are still in the dark over Najib’s application for a royal pardon. Has it been approved? Was his sentence commuted to six years imprisonment? Or was his bid for freedom rejected?

Loss of confidence

Despite the board’s silence, one thing is certain. The delay simply proves that the members of the board are running scared. The threat of a backlash from various quarters is real. The harm to our democracy will be severe. Our trust and confidence in the monarchy, the judiciary, and the authorities will plummet.

The board members do not seem to comprehend that the more they delay the announcement, the worse it is for the Madani administration, and themselves. Their worst fear is probably the public backlash.

Most of us disagree with the decision to free a man who stole billions from the public purse, who lied to the rakyat, who “persuaded” his then cabinet and attorney-general that he was innocent?

Did Najib ever show remorse? Did he repent or apologise for stealing the rakyat’s money? No, he did not. He knows that to express regret and shame is an admission of guilt.

If Najib fails in his bid for a royal pardon, then the other backlash will come from Najib, his family and supporters. These people live in denial because, in their little bubble, Najib has done no wrong.

However, Anwar is also in denial if he thinks that a freed Najib will secure him the much-needed Umno-Baru support. It won’t.

Anwar knows that the backlash will spread overseas.  The financial markets will react because investors will view Najib’s pardon as a rubber stamp for corruption.

The public backlash will also tarnish Anwar’s image. He will be seen as a weak leader, whose last election manifesto which was built on an anti-corruption stance, will be rendered meaningless.

Ministers add to uncertainty

The Pardons Board fiasco has dragged on long enough. First, we were told that the board had postponed their meeting many times. Then we were told to expect an announcement last Monday. This was swiftly followed by another announcement that the ceremony to welcome the new king had to take precedence.

Was the premature report by Utusan Malaysia a hint that Najib had been freed? This was swiftly retracted.

It was one weak excuse after another. This was typical institutionalised faffing around.

Malaysians are not stupid. Two ministers thought their remarks would calm the public. They didn’t, but merely added to the confusion.

The Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Federal Territory) Zaliha Mustafa gave a subtle suggestion that the PM’s department was in a state of panic. She said: “We await the statement (from the Pardons Board)… InsyaAllah, this week, we hope.”

Meanwhile, the Communications Minister, Fahmi Fadzil, told both local and foreign media to be patient and hinted that Najib’s pardon had been discussed at the cabinet meeting.  

Did he rebuke Channel News Asia too? Or was he afraid to deny CNA’s allegation because what they reported probably had some truth to it?

The more these ministers come up with excuses to justify the delays, the more restless the rakyat becomes.

Perhaps, it is the members of the board who need to be scrutinised. Our focus should be on them too.

Didn’t the Madani administration claim that they wanted to be more transparent?

Here are a few questions for the Pardons Board. Who are the other three members of the Pardons Board appointed by the state ruler or the Agong to sit on the Board? What are their credentials and expertise? How does the rakyat know if the advice they give the Agong is sound? How often do they meet?

The Pardons Board and the Madani administration should not make a mockery of justice. The consequences of granting Najib a pardon or giving him a reduced sentence will tarnish everyone, from the Agong to Anwar, from the judiciary to the monarchy and the international community and investors.

Malaysians are right to smell a rat with the Pardons Board delay.

---

MARIAM MOKHTAR is a defender of the truth, the admiral-general of the Green Bean Army, and the president of the Perak Liberation Organisation (PLO). Blog, Twitter.

The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of Malaysiakini.