Perlis Harapan chair urges govt to explain Najib's reduced jail term

 

The government and the Pardons Board have been urged to explain the decision to reduce Najib Abdul Razak’s prison sentence.

This comes after the board announced yesterday that the former prime minister’s jail sentence will be slashed from 12 years to six, meaning he would be released as early as Aug 23, 2028.

Perlis Pakatan Harapan chairperson Noor Amin Ahmad said the Pardons Board should explain the rationale behind its decision, akin to legal judgments for court rulings.

“Just as the family (of Najib) has the right to make a pardon appeal, the Pardons Board has the right to consider the application. That’s a procedure that has been in place for a long time.

“Whether we agree or not with the board’s decision, that’s another matter. I believe the freedom to give an opinion about the decision must be guaranteed. Indeed, there are many decisions by the judicial body that we question from time to time.

“I agree that the board should explain the basis of why the decision was taken, just like the basis of legal judgments made in court,” he said in a post on X yesterday.

Noor Amin (above) added that it was inappropriate to assume political actors had intervened in the board’s decision.

Apart from reducing Najib’s sentence, the Pardons Board also slashed the fine slapped on the former Umno president from RM210 million to RM50 million.

However, failure to pay the fine would add another year to Najib’s prison sentence, where he will only be released on Aug 23, 2029.

Meanwhile, Pejuang information chief Muhammad Rafique Rashid Ali said Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Federal Territories) Zaliha Mustafa should explain the decision.

Pejuang information chief Muhammad Rafique Rashid Ali

“People want to know what was the government’s advice given through the federal territories minister, who sits on the Pardons Board.

“(Did the government) support or oppose (the reduction of Najib’s sentence)?” he questioned.

Pardons Board members

This decision made by the Pardons Board was one of the last acts of Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah, whose term as the Yang di-Pertuan Agong ended on Tuesday (Jan 30).

All states in Malaysia have their own Pardons Board headed by their rulers or governors.

According to Articles 42(5) and 42(11) of the Federal Constitution, the Pardons Board for the Federal Territories comprises the attorney-general, federal territories minister, and no more than three other members appointed by the Agong.

Based on appointments announced through the federal gazette, there are four names whose appointments were valid at the time Najib’s pardon was considered.

This means at least one of those persons is no longer a member due to resignations and other factors that may nullify an appointment, which is not announced through the gazette.

These royal appointees were Prasad Sandosham Abraham, Paramasivam Arunasalam, Darussalam Budin, and Zaharah Ibrahim.