The debate over former prime minister Dato' Seri Najib Razak's sentence has once again become a political flashpoint after former DAP Skudai assemblyman Marina Ibrahim allegedly accused a senior party leader of privately expressing support for house arrest and a future royal pardon while publicly taking the opposite position.
The allegations quickly drew national attention, prompting DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke to firmly reject claims that the party had changed its stance or practised double standards regarding Najib's imprisonment.
Speaking to reporters after a Pakatan Harapan ceramah in Bakri, Loke stressed that DAP has remained consistent from the very beginning. "Our position has never changed. A major scandal took place, a prison sentence has been imposed by the court, and the court's decision must be respected and complied with by everyone," he said.
Loke dismissed Marina's claims as another example of allegations often made by former party members after leaving politics.
"It is nothing unusual. We have seen this happen many times before. Our struggle is not centred on any individual. We have moved on," he added.
Marina, who announced her retirement from politics earlier this year after declining to defend her Skudai seat, claimed she lost faith in politics following a private conversation with an unnamed senior DAP leader on April 12, 2026.
According to Marina, the leader allegedly told her there was "nothing wrong" with allowing Najib to serve the remainder of his sentence under house arrest because of his contributions to the nation.
She further claimed the same leader believed a royal pardon would be politically safer if granted only after the next general election, arguing that granting it earlier could damage support among Chinese voters.
Marina also alleged that discussions were taking place within the party on how to manage public perception should such a scenario arise. She claimed that some leaders were even prepared to resign from ministerial positions if Najib were pardoned before the election while continuing to support the Federal Government.
However, she did not reveal the identity of the leader involved, and no evidence has been publicly presented to substantiate the claims.
Marina said the alleged conversation became the defining moment that convinced her politics had become increasingly driven by political calculation rather than principle.
She questioned why some DAP leaders only recently became vocal about opposing any pardon for Najib after Johor Umno declared it would not cooperate with DAP in the coming state election.
She asked if this was truly a red line, why was there hope of working together with Barisan Nasional over the past four years?
Marina also criticised what she described as political hypocrisy, arguing that actions once condemned when committed by political opponents appeared to become acceptable when undertaken by one's own allies.
She lamented that, "Previously, when others did it, we said it was wrong. Today, when we do the same thing, suddenly it becomes right."
Her remarks have sparked wider discussions on political consistency, public trust and whether parties can maintain their principles while navigating coalition politics.
Najib, who is serving a prison sentence following his conviction in the SRC International case, remains one of the country's most politically sensitive figures. Any discussion involving house arrest, sentence reduction or a possible royal pardon continues to attract intense public attention and scrutiny.
Despite Marina's allegations, DAP's official position remains unchanged, with Anthony Loke reiterating that the party respects the judiciary and maintains that court decisions must be upheld.
Whether Marina's claims represent an isolated conversation or a broader political disagreement within party circles remains unverified, but the controversy has once again placed the issues of integrity, transparency and consistency at the centre of Malaysia's political discourse.
By: Kpost
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