KUALA LUMPUR – The government must provide clarity on how it will combat corruption following the reduced sentence given to former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, who was convicted of corruption, a think tank said.
Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs (Ideas) chief executive officer Tricia Yeoh said the partial pardon granted to Najib could adversely impact international perceptions of Malaysia, more so as the government had openly pledged reforms.
“The decision can erode public trust in the government’s ability to uphold its moral position on any matter related to good governance.
“The decision to reduce the sentence signals that abuse of power and misappropriation of public funds are easily tolerated…(it) directly contradicts the Madani government’s commitment to tackling corruption,” Yeoh said in a statement.
She noted that this perception is fostered by the fact that the federal territories minister and attorney-general are appointed by the prime minister and sit on the Pardons Board.
“With their inclusion, the public may assume that the reprieve would have been considered with agreement from the current political leadership.”
As such, she said the government should provide clarity on how the administration intends to renew its efforts towards combating corruption.
“If the government still intends to seriously combat corruption, the new national anti-corruption strategy, which is slated to be launched soon, should state clearly what its plans are to strengthen the nation’s institutions so that a case of 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) and SRC (International Sdn Bhd), which have greatly drained the nation’s financial resources and severely damaged our international reputation, will never again occur.”
Yeoh noted how Najib had overseen 1MDB and SRC International and that the SRC case for which he had been convicted was a “straightforward case of abuse of power and corruption by a public official”.
In July 2020, the Kuala Lumpur High Court sentenced Najib to 12 years in prison and a RM210 million fine for corruption involving RM42 million of SRC International funds. The federal court upheld the conviction and sentence, and Najib began serving jail time on August 23, 2022.
Last week, the Pardons Board granted the former prime minister and ex-finance minister a sentence reduction to 6 years and a reduced fine of RM50 million.
Yeoh said this decision would have negative implications for other reforms the government has said it would embark on, such as separating the roles of the attorney-general and public prosecutor, enacting new laws on government procurement, freedom of information, and political financing, as well as amending the Whistleblower Protection Act. – February 6, 2024