THE Pardons Board is expected to release an official statement this week about former premier Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s application for a royal pardon following his conviction on corruption charges and his 12-year prison sentence.
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Federal Territory) Dr Zaliha Mustafa said this when met by reporters at the Federal Territories Day 2024 event in Putrajaya on Thursday (Feb 1).
“God willing, it will be announced this week. Be patient. We will wait for the statement from the board,” she was quoted as saying by FMT.
On Tuesday, Dr Zaliha, who is a member of the Pardons Board, confirmed that a decision had been made and that a statement would be issued. However, she kept mum about when exactly the decision would be revealed.
Yesterday (Jan 31), Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail and Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil had separately told the media that the Cabinet had discussed Najib’s pardon bid, but declined to reveal the outcome as it was not their prerogative.
According to Saifuddin, the matter was not under the Cabinet’s jurisdiction and that any matter pertaining to Najib’s pardon was under the board itself.
Najib, who is also a former finance minister and former Pekan MP, is serving a 12-year sentence in Kajang Prison after being convicted in the RM42 mil SRC International corruption case.
The imprisonment was meted out by the High Court and upheld by the Court of Appeal and Federal Court.
His lawyer Tan Sri Shafee Abdullah previously said a pardon application was first submitted in Sept 2022, and that addendums to the petition were filed in October that year and in April 2023.
Najib is also on trial for other crimes, including four counts of abuse of power and 21 counts of money laundering involving RM2.27 bil from 1MDB. – Feb 1, 2024
Main pic credit: Bernama
