SHAH ALAM, Sept 20 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has defended former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s right to seek a pardon, while cautioning that its impact on public confidence and international perceptions must also be weighed.
Anwar also rejected suggestions that he had paved the way for Najib’s conditional pardon, saying every prisoner had the right to submit an appeal for consideration.
“When people say that I was the one who paved the way [for that pardon], that is not true.
“What I said is that every prisoner has the right to submit an appeal, and I stand by defending that right for anyone, including Datuk Seri Najib.
“He has the right to submit his appeal for consideration by the Pardons Board, which is chaired by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, and the board must consider it,” Anwar said at the Hi-Tea Reunion Perintis Reformis event in Shah Alam today.
He said the prime minister and attorney general could provide advice on the matter, while the power to grant a pardon rested with the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.
Anwar added that he had continued to remind the Pardons Board that Najib’s ongoing court cases, the size of the fine and the potential impact on public confidence and international perceptions should not be overlooked.
“I continue to remind [the board] about the ongoing cases.
“I continue to remind them that the fine is exceptionally large.
“I continue to remind them that its impact on public confidence in the system, as well as international perceptions, must be given serious attention,” he said.
His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, the King of Malaysia, granted Najib a conditional pardon on Friday, allowing him to serve the remainder of his SRC International sentence under house arrest until August 23, 2028, subject to payment of a RM50 million fine and other conditions.
Attorney General Tan Sri Mohd Dusuki Mokhtar has clarified that the conditional pardon applies only to the prison sentence imposed in the SRC International case.
