NETIZENS have taken to social media in reacting to recent news that the Court of Appeal has upheld former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s conviction in the RM42 mil SRC International Sdn Bhd corruption case.
Earlier today (Wednesday, Dec 8) a three-person bench chaired by Justice Abdul Karim Abdul Jalil had unanimously dismissed the former premier’s appeal to reverse the guilty verdict and sentencing over seven charges comprising abuse of power, criminal breach of trust and money laundering.
“There was no national interest when RM42 mil was transferred into Najib’s accounts, only national embarrassment,” Justice Abdul Karim said as he read out the judgment brief today.
Lawyer and activist Siti Kasim expressed her hopes that the Federal Court would hear the case as soon as possible to bring back the people’s confidence in the country’s judiciary system.
“This is due to the many negative comments I’ve read across [social media],” she tweeted.
Former law minister Datuk Zaid Ibrahim, meanwhile, mused that the elites who had abused their powers can heave a sigh of relief.
“It’s Najib who got the brunt and not them,” he commented.
Meanwhile, user @farisjohnfarhan said:
(I hope when when Najib goes to jail there wouldn’t be anyone appealing to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong for a royal pardon like what happened with Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.)
Malaysian author Mikhail Hafiz also took to Twitter to offer his two cents’ worth.
“The only stay Najib deserves is a stay in jail,” echoed Tharma Pillai, who is the co- founder of Undi 18, a youth-led movement dedicated to democratic reforms.
However, some netizens expressed their doubt that Najib would receive a jail sentence.
“I hope he goes [to jail] but deep down everyone here knows how corrupt this country is from the bottom chain of people in power to the top,” said user @eastwind47.
Meanwhile, user @ParpuKari chided the former premier for maintaining that he had no clue of the RM42 mil from SRC International that was transferred into his personal bank account.
(Don’t simply swear [in the name of Allah]. You claim to not have any clue of the money in your account but yet you go shopping using money from the same account. How long are you going to continue lying to the Malays in rural areas?) – Dec 8, 2021
