LFL: Anwar, govt must take full responsibility for Najib's pardon

 

Lawyers for Liberty director Rania Aljunied said Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and his government must shoulder “full responsibility” for the pardon granted to former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak.

In a statement today, she said members of the Federal Territories Pardons Board are linked to the government or appointed on Putrajaya’s advice.

She also pointed to the Federal Constitution, which states that the Yang di-Pertuan Agong exercises his powers of pardon on the board’s advice, and cited Anwar’s 2023 Court of Appeal case against lawyer Khairul Azam Abdul Aziz, in which the judge ruled that “the royal prerogative of mercy... is an executive power”.

"It is legally and constitutionally impossible for Anwar and the government to escape responsibility for Najib’s release from prison into house arrest or to pretend that they had nothing to do with it," she asserted.

She urged the Pardons Board to meet again and provide “revised advice” to the ruler in line with constitutional provisions and the rule of law.

Yesterday, Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar granted Najib a conditional pardon, allowing him to serve the remainder of his jail sentence under house arrest, provided the former Pekan MP pays a RM50 million fine and complies with all conditions.

In response, Anwar said the pardon falls under the sole discretion of the ruler, while his duty as prime minister was merely to provide advice on legal implications, national stability, and the rule of law.

He assured that the government’s commitment to fighting graft remains unaffected, a position affirmed by the Pakatan Harapan presidential council.

The prime minister also said the clemency does not mean the country is bowing to corruption or thievery.

Lingering financial burden

Separately, PKR Youth chief Kamil Abdul Munim said Najib’s pardon does not erase the effects of the 1MDB scandal on Malaysia’s reputation and finances.

Stressing his wing’s respect for the Agong’s powers of pardon, he said the government remains burdened with liabilities of at least RM20.1 billion, including RM8.9 billion in 1MDB sukuk obligations.

"Every sen allocated to service the interest and principal of this 1MDB debt represents funds diverted from national development expenditure.

"Those billions of ringgit should have been channelled towards building new schools, upgrading public hospital facilities, strengthening rural infrastructure, and providing welfare assistance to the needy," he said in a statement yesterday.

Pardon limited to SRC case

Yesterday, Attorney-General Dusuki Mokhtar confirmed that the pardon only applies to the jail sentence imposed on Najib in the SRC International case, in which he was convicted of seven counts of criminal breach of trust, abuse of power, and money laundering involving more than RM42 million.

He was first convicted on all seven charges by the High Court in July 2020 following a lengthy trial, and sentenced to 12 years in prison and fined RM210 million.

Najib began serving his jail term on Aug 23, 2022, after both the Court of Appeal and Federal Court dismissed his appeals and upheld his conviction.

However, on Jan 29, 2024, the Pardons Board halved his 12-year prison sentence to six years and reduced the RM210 million fine to RM50 million.

However, on Jan 29, 2024, the Pardons Board halved his 12-year prison sentence to six years and reduced the RM210 million fine to RM50 million.

Najib may have to return to prison as he is still facing several other criminal cases in court.

These include a 15-year jail sentence handed down by the Kuala Lumpur High Court last year, which convicted him on 25 charges in a separate 1MDB case. The court also ordered Najib to pay an RM11.38 billion fine. - Mkini