HAS a form of double standards been acted out by the Prisons Department in the case of former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak who has been held by the prisons department from issuing a statement on the impending 15th General Election (GE15)?
Or is the department exercising its role well by discharging its responsibilities on the type of crime committed? Najib had embezzled millions of funds through SRC International Sdn Bhd and the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MBD) while Anwar was jailed for sodomy, which has nothing to do with corruption, Najib on the other hand had used the rakyat’s money for his own personal gain and that of his cronies, a vast comparison to Anwar’s case which is considered a personal affair not involving misappropriation of funds, corruption where the tax payers’ money is involved.
Najib’s daughter, Nooryana Najib questioning the prisons office on why isn’t her father able to come up with a statement but Opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim was allowed to campaign for his wife Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail from jail during the 2015 Permatang Pauh by-election is not an invalid one, but the manner in which the crime of the two politicians must be taken into account too.
Nooryana who goes by @yananajib on Instagram posted a picture comparing Najib and Anwar asking: “Kenapa Anwar boleh tapi Najib tak boleh? Adakah sebab namanya Najib?” (Why could Anwar campaign while Najib can’t?” “Is it because his name is Najib?”
She had also posted a screenshot of two news reports side-by-side with another, where one news report said. “Anwar kempen dari penjara” and “Najib tak boleh keluar kenyataan, berkempen dari penjara”.
In response to this, the Prisons Department director of prisons policy Supri Hashim had previously said that no prisoner who is currently serving a sentence has been able to make a statement.
In a news report, he had stated that the restriction applies to all prisoners, including the former prime minister.
“The Prisons Department has nothing to do with politics and we discharge our responsibilities regardless of the ruling Government,” Supri was quoted as saying.
On Aug 23, The Federal Court upheld Najib’s sentence of 12 years in prison and a fine of RM210 mil for misappropriating RM42 mil of SRC International funds and is now serving his sentence at the Kajang prison. – Oct 21, 2022
Main photo credit: Malaysiakini
