BOSSKU is back and that is bad news. If there is one overwhelming reaction, it is one of utter public dismay.
But nobody can question the conditional pardon granted to Datuk Seri Najib Razak because it came from the palace at the advice of the Federal Territories Pardons Board under Article 42 of the Federal Constitution.
For sure, supporters of the former premier will keep reminding and warning the people not to criticise but respect the decision made by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.
Nevertheless, the country must never forget why Najib was sent to prison in the first place. The man did not go behind bars for his political convictions but was packed off because he committed a crime most foul.
Since the former UMNO president never admitted guilt in the SRC International Sdn Bhd case and 1MDB scandal, he might now be portrayed as an innocent victim of someone else’s doing.
So, the old argument and justifications will be rolled out to re-make his image:
- He was not aware that other people were behind the wrongdoings;
- He was too busy attending to the affairs of the state to bother about other trifling matters like 1MDB;
- Other material witnesses or crooks should be in the dock and not him;
- All the money from the 1MDB was actually to help his cash-strapped party obtain funds.
- No, fellow Malaysians, it’s all a grand conspiracy to get him into trouble. He’s truly innocent.
And so the UMNO propaganda machinery will go full steam ahead to paint their hero as a man who had been unjustly wronged.
Plundering of nation’s wealth
Even PAS, a long-time political foe of UMNO has already jumped on the bandwagon to “whitewash” him.
Its secretary-general Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan extolled him as a leader who “brought development to the country and prosperity to its people” but ignoring the fact that he brought more prosperity to himself.
And when the Perikatan Nasional (PN) opposition chief whip contended that the fallen but revived leader can still contribute to the country, there’s something ominous about it: it is highly likely he will make his reappearance on the political stage and roil national life again.
It is not that he cannot return to active politics but the stigma attached to him from his crime and punishment will do the country no good at all if he chooses to walk the corridors of power yet again.
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The country is still reeling from the deep wounds inflicted by all those massive financial plunders that no matter how much of “political rehabilitation” Najib undergoes, it will not erase the mark of shame on his forehead.
But UMNO is working hard to remove the stain on his character with the new tagline that there’s nothing to be ashamed about being charged with corruption or going to prison for it.
In fact, PAS president Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang had once said that non-Malays made up the bulk of the “roots of corruption”.
So, it appears that in the general jubilation over the release of Najib, UMNO is trying its level best to alter the script to make his crime look petty or that it was all a fiction. It’s all the doings of the other ethnic groups.
With the 16th General Election (GE16) around the corner, the public can expect UMNO and its allies to downplay all the misdeeds of Najib in preparation for his possible political re-coronation.
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The political fallout from the royal pardon can only redound to the advantage of UMNO which is now seen as a government-in-waiting after its impressive performance in the Johor and Negeri Sembilan state elections.
UMNO president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, generally seen as a lacklustre leader, would gladly hand over the tattered flag of the party to his former boss in the strong belief that the latter can capture the Putrajaya stronghold with ease.
However, the 1MDB albatross is still hanging over the neck of the former 10-term Pekan MP. His pardon is only for his despicable role in the SRC International case where he was convicted of stealing RM42 mil from the former subsidiary of the state investment fund 1MDB.
For his part in the RM2.5 bil 1MDB scandal regarded as one of the biggest corruption scandals in the world which put Attila the Hun – one of history’s most notorious conquerors – to shame, he was found guilty and sentenced to 15 years’ jail and a landmark RM11.38 bil fine.
While Najib is appealing the sentence, UMNO must keep its jubilation in check because it is hard to imagine he can get the same royal pardon.
Najib can serve the remainder of his six-year jail sentence in the SRC International case under house arrest on condition he pays a reduced fine of RM50 mil. And UMNO has launched a Najib Razak Solidarity Fund to raise the money for his release.
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But who wants to donate to the fund? UMNO would have to rely heavily on its members, supporters and its political allies to pitch in and perhaps tug at the heartstrings of sympathisers in the Malay heartland to part with their money.
Generally, kind-hearted people donate for a worthy cause. If the RM50 mil is for the purpose of building schools or roads or helping the needy pay for medical treatment, the response will be spontaneous and generous.
But donating to help free a criminal? That’s a totally different game which nobody will willingly participate. Those in the right frame of mind will not pay a single sen. – Sept 20, 2026
Phlip Rodrigues is a retired journalist.
The views expressed are solely of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Focus Malaysia.
Main image credit: OMK (ohhmalaysiakuu)/Threads
