FUGITIVE blogger Raja Petra Kamarudin (RPK) has hit out at UMNO by describing as “unfounded” the party’s claim that matters pertaining to the partial pardon of incarcerated former premier Datuk Seri Najib Razak are protected by the Official Secrets Act 1972 (OSA), hence cannot be openly discussed or debated.
The opposition-slant mercenary blogger justified that there was no stamp of “official secret whatsoever” in the letter addressed to “the Prisons director-general and whoever who receives the letter”, hence the document should be construed as “a public letter which is not protected under the OSA’.
“UMNO’s narrative whereby the party president called for a UMNO supreme council meeting and later met with all 191 divisions leaders is as a total lie, spin and fairy tale,” he pointed out in his latest video clip.
“UMNO has painted Najib’s pardon as if the Federal Constitution stipulated that his pardon is at the sole discretion or absolute/total power of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong (YDPA) and that it cannot be questioned or disputed or action can be taken under the Sedition Act 1948.”
The Malaysia Today editor who has been on the run from the Malaysian police since 2009 also took a pot shot at so-called “UMNO’s official spokesman (UMNO communications director)” Datuk Lokman Noor Adam for thanking Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and UMNO head honcho Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi for “the discount” in Najib’s jail sentence and fine as well as to expedite the Pekan MP’s pardon process.
“But he (Lokman) failed to recap his earlier statement that Najib would be released and could go home a week after the formation of a new government or appointment of PM (in the aftermath of the national polls on Nov 19, 2022)”.
RPK further set the record straight that the Federal Territories’ Pardons Board which met on Jan 29 had recommended to the then Agong Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah that “Najib’s balance of sentence should be continued as it is (a 12-year jail term and RM210 mil fine) or in other words, just let it be without any pardon nor discount”.
“It was the Agong’s royal opinion for Najib to be accorded compassion (belas kasihan) under Article 42 of the Federal Constitution, hence the shortening of Najib’s jail term to six years till Aug 23, 2028 while his fine is reduced to RM50 mil from RM210 mil,” contended the self-exiled RPK from his home in Manchester, UK.
In essence, Article 42 of the Federal Constitution states that the Agong has the power to grant pardons, reprieves and respites in respect of all offences that have been tried by court martial and all offences committed in the Federal Territories of Kuala Lumpur, Labuan and Putrajaya.
“Therefore, claims of the Agong’s holding absolute power, cannot question or dispute the Agong’s decision or about UMNO staging its supreme council meeting or calling for the meeting of 191 divisions or thanking the PM or UMNO president for assisting Najib’s pardon process is bullshit … everything is bullshit,” berated RPK.
“The real story is that the Pardons Board blocked Najib’s pardon when the Agong had initially wanted to accord full pardon to Najib, thus prompting His Majesty under Article 42 of the Federal Constitution to giving a discounted jail term and fine.”
Added RPK: “The document signed by the Agong himself and Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department-cum-Federal Territories’ Minister Dr Zaliha Mustafa contains the entire truth.” – Feb 11, 2024
