PUTRAJAYA – The cabinet meeting today briefly addressed the status of former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s application for a royal pardon, said Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail.
Stressing that cabinet has no say in the matter as it falls under the purview of the Pardons Board, Saifuddin said the issue was “discussed fleetingly” during the meeting earlier today.
“We were informed, (but) discussions were brief (as) we understand that this is something that falls under the Pardons Board’s jurisdiction.
“Since this (Najib’s pardon) is not under our (cabinet’s) jurisdiction, I’d rather not comment (on which agency will issue an official statement on the matter,” he said when addressing a press conference at his ministry’s headquarters here today.
Last year, Najib began serving a 12-year prison sentence in Kajang Prison over charges of abuse of power, money laundering, and criminal breach of trust relating to funds worth RM42 million belonging to 1Malaysia Development Bhd’s (1MDB) former subsidiary SRC International Sdn Bhd.
Earlier today, a foreign news portal cited “official sources” claiming that Najib’s prison sentence had been halved by the Pardons Board following its alleged meeting on Monday.
The fate of Najib’s pardon petition has consistently been a matter of speculation, with rumours making the rounds yesterday after a Malay-language news portal published a similar article claiming that the former Umno president had succeeded in his pardon bid.
The news site removed the story a few hours after it was uploaded, prompting Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil to advise the media to wait for the relevant authorities to issue an official statement on Najib’s pardon.
The convening of the Pardons Board and its deliberations are protected by the Official Secrets Act.
Earlier this month, Najib’s lawyer, Tan Sri Shafee Abdullah, said neither his client nor his office have been updated on the pardon petition filed about 16 months ago. – January 31, 2024