PETALING JAYA: A PAS leader claimed former prime minister Najib Razak’s punishment was more “severe” despite the reduction of the latter’s prison term when comparing the treatment the current prime minister received for his past conviction.
“Anwar received a full pardon and is immediately eligible to contest in general elections, despite having served a longer prison term,” PAS deputy president Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man told FMT.
He was referring to the time when PKR president Anwar Ibrahim was granted a royal pardon for his sodomy charges in 2018. He had then served three of his five year prison term.
Najib only began serving his 12 year prison term in August 2022.
Tuan Ibrahim also said Najib’s reduced prison sentence was still “harsher” than when deputy prime minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi was granted a conditional discharge on all 47 charges involving corruption, criminal breach of trust and money laundering charges after four years of hearings in the Kuala Lumpur High Court.
However, Tuan Ibrahim said PAS respected the decision of the Federal Territories Pardons Board, chaired by the 16th Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah, last week.
He said: “All parties have the right to appeal, whether the elites or ordinary citizens.”
Najib’s prison sentence was reduced from 12 to six years, the pardons board accounced today. A fine of RM210 million was reduced to RM50 million.
The former prime minister and former Umno president was convicted in 2020 on seven counts of abuse of power, money laundering and criminal breach of trust involving RM42 million in funds belonging to SRC International, a former subsidiary of 1MDB.
‘Bersatu open to ties with Najib when freed’
Bersatu information chief Razali Idris said the party will not dispute the decision of the pardons board, as it is the right of the King.
He said Bersatu, an Umno splinter party, was open to collaborating with Najib once he is freed. “From the start, I have said that if Najib is released 100%, we have no problems and we are prepared to collaborate.”
He added that they would collaborate with anyone who shares their struggle of championing the Malays and Islam. “And this includes Najib”. - FMT
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