AS THE Pardons Board meet tomorrow (Jan 19) determine the fate of incarcerated former premier Datuk Seri Najib Razak, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim will be torn in between protecting the aspirations of Pakatan Harapan (PH) loyalists or succumbing to pressure from UMNO to free the former Pekan MP.
Stressing that Najib’s pardon shall be evaluated “solely on political grounds”, fugitive blogger Raja Petra Kamarudin (RPK) cautioned Anwar that any U-turn by him to push for Najib’s pardon will antagonise a lot of people.
This is because the mounting anger especially among non-Malays over Deputy Prime Minister and UMNO president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi being accorded a discharge not amounting to acquittal (DNAA) from all 47 charges in his Yayasan Akalbudi trial has yet to subside.
“Anwar has to accept that his ascend to power was somehow fuelled by the 1MDB (1Malaysia Development Bhd) scandal, hence he’ll be seen as betraying the trust of voters (by supporting Najib’s pardon),” observed the opposition-slant mercenary blogger in his latest video clip.
“The dilemma faced by Anwar is the people’s impression of Najib of having been justly tried and given a fair sentence … we are talking about tens of billions of taxpayers’ money siphoned by Najib at a time when the livelihood of 33 million Malaysians is at stake due to the languishing economic conditions.”
Above all else, RPK reckoned that Anwar cannot afford PH to be seen as manipulating the justice system “to free his friends” for “hungry and angry people at this juncture are troublemakers”.
“The issue now is Anwar will have one more nail in his coffin if he’s prepared to sacrifice his own position to free Najib … so, this boils down to whether he wishes to save his own neck,” asserted the self-exiled blogger from his Manchester, UK residence since 2009.
“So, who will be the black sheep … somebody has to die or suffer to which I think Anwar will choose to look after his own interest.”
Added RPK: “That last straw that breaks the camel back can be Najib’s pardon but Anwar will be confronted by the devil and the blue sea situation. He has to consider if Najib’s supporters in UMNO will pull out their support from the PH-BN alliance which will result in the unity government losing its two-thirds majority at least.”
Earlier, the controversial blogger who has boasted that it will be futile for Bukit Aman nor the Attorney-General to extradite him from the UK contended that if the Pardons Board rejects Najib’s appeal for clemency from the Yang di-Pertuan Agong (YDPA) tomorrow (Jan 19), he has to wait another two years to submit a fresh application.
“But if the board recommends for his early release (Najib started serving his jail sentence in August 2022), the Agong is likely to grant his consent,” speculated RPK. – Jan 18, 2024
