.png)
SHAH ALAM - Malay news portal Utusan Malaysia has retracted an article claiming former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak received a royal pardon, apologising for publishing unverified information.
The article, citing an anonymous source reported the Pardons Board had granted Najib clemency at its meeting on Jan 29.
However, Utusan Malaysia issued a statement acknowledging the lack of verifiable details and expressing regret to its readers.
“Utusan Malaysia has retracted the article because the facts cannot be verified.
“Therefore, we apologise to our readers,” it said in a statement.
This retraction comes amidst ongoing speculation about Najib's fate following his conviction and imprisonment on corruption charges.
Earlier, Federal Territories Minister Dr Zaliha Mustafa confirmed attending the Pardons Board meeting but declined to comment on specific discussions.
Similarly, Najib's lawyer, Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah, previously acknowledged submitting a pardon application in September 2022, with subsequent addendums in October and April 2023.