MIC, MCA thank Agong for Najib’s conditional pardon

 MIC deputy president M Saravanan says being in prison for a few years is ‘more than enough’ for the former prime minister.

MIC deputy president M Saravanan said Najib Razak had done ‘good things’ as prime minister, especially for the Indian community, while MCA president Wee Ka Siong said judicial and pardon processes must be understood as separate constitutional procedures.

PETALING JAYA:

Leaders of Barisan Nasional component parties MIC and MCA have expressed their gratitude to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Sultan Ibrahim, for the conditional pardon granted to former prime minister Najib Razak.

MIC deputy president M Saravanan said he was happy, as Najib had contributed significantly to the nation during his time as prime minister, especially for the Indian community.

“No one can deny the amount of good things and initiatives the man has done for the nation.

“And, despite his shortfalls, he has served his sentence in prison for some time. For a character like Najib, being in prison for a few years is more than enough. He deserves house arrest,” he told FMT.

MCA president Wee Ka Siong expressed the party’s “utmost gratitude” for the decision, saying that the judicial and pardon processes must be understood as separate constitutional processes.

“Respecting the decision of the pardons board does not mean denying the court’s decision, just as respecting the court’s decision does not mean questioning the power of pardon provided by the constitution.

“Both form integral parts of the country’s legal and constitutional system and must be respected,” he said in a Facebook post.

Earlier today, the legal affairs division of the Prime Minister’s Department said Najib had been granted a conditional pardon allowing him to serve the remainder of his prison sentence in the SRC International case under house arrest until Aug 23, 2028, subject to payment of his RM50 million fine.

The division said the conditional pardon was granted by Sultan Ibrahim following the 64th meeting of the Federal Territories Pardons Board today.

Najib, 73, has been serving a six-year sentence at Kajang prison after the board halved his original 12-year sentence in February 2024. The original RM210 million fine was also reduced to RM50 million.

He was imprisoned in August 2022 after the Federal Court dismissed his final appeal in the case. - FMT