KUALA LUMPUR – Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has emphasised that decisions made by the Pardons Board are out of the government’s control.
This comes amid controversy surrounding the board’s announcement today to halve the prison sentence of ex-prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak to six years, and to slash his fine from RM120 million to RM50 million for corruption in the SRC International Sdn Bhd case.
In an interview with Al-Jazeera today, Anwar said that processes undertaken by the Pardons Board must be respected.
“The process has to be respected. It’s beyond the prime minister or the government, and I respect the decision of the then-king,” Anwar said, referring to the 16th Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Mustafa Billah Shah, whose reign ended the day after the Pardons Board convened on January 29.
“Whatever one feels… of course, this (the board’s decision on Najib’s pardon application) is very political (and) some support (the decision) while some don’t.
“But, the fact that they must respect the right of those convicted to appeal to the Pardons Board cannot be ignored,” the prime minister added.
The Pardons Board for the federal territories consists of five members, namely the attorney-general, the federal territories minister and a maximum of three other members appointed by the king.
Earlier today, the board’s secretariat for the federal territories of Kuala Lumpur, Labuan and Putrajaya under the legal division of the Prime Minister’s Department in a statement announced Najib’s reduced sentence.
The statement also said that if the fine were not paid, the period of imprisonment would be increased for another year whereby his release would be on August 23, 2029.
Najib began serving his prison sentence on August 23, 2022 after losing his final appeal at the Federal Court. He submitted his application for a royal pardon in September the same year.
The former Umno president was convicted by the high court in July 2020 of corruption involving RM42 million of funds belonging to SRC International, a former subsidiary of 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB).
Najib still has three other pending court cases – on alleged corruption involving RM2.3 billion of 1MDB funds, which is currently in the trial stage; misappropriation of RM6.6 billion in relation to the International Petroleum Investment Company, for which trial is to begin in June; and money-laundering charges involving RM27 million of SRC International funds, which are to be heard in September. – February 2, 2024