JAKARTA: Pakatan Harapan de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim says investigations on Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak over the SRC International Sdn Bhd case will be conducted in a fair and independent manner.
He called on all parties not to pass judgement on the former prime minister before a thorough investigation and enforcement of the law were fully complied with.
"To him (Najib), (this is) my advice, find a good defence counsel," he said after a meeting with former Indonesian president, Bacharuddin Jusuf Habibie, in conjunction with the 20th anniversary of Indonesia's reform here Sunday.
Anwar who received a pardon from the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Muhammad V on May 16, hoped any investigation on Najib would be done fairly and independently.
His full pardon was tabled and considered at a Pardons Board meeting for the Federal Territories of Kuala Lumpur, Labuan and Putrajaya and in accordance with Article 42 of the Federal Constitution.
Anwar, 71, was sentenced to five years in prison in February 2015 after the Federal Court upheld a conviction for sodomy.
Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Deputy Chief Commissioner (Operations) Datuk Seri Azam Baki said Najib was required to be present at the commission's headquarters in Putrajaya this Tuesday to allow investigations into the SRC International Sdn Bhd case.
SRC International Sdn Bhd was a subsidiary of 1Malaysia Development Berhad until it was placed under the Ministry of Finance in 2012.
On Jan 26, 2016, the media reported that then-Attorney-General Tan Sri Mohamed Apandi Ali confirmed that no criminal offence was committed by Najib on cases involving RM2.6bil and SRC International funds.
On the meeting with Indonesia's third president, Bacharuddin or BJ Habibie, which was held for almost three hours at the latter's residence in Jalan Patra Kuningan, Jakarta, Anwar said the meeting was at BJ Habibie's invitation, in conjunction with the 20th anniversary of the Indonesia Reformation.
He said 1998 was a sacred year for Malaysia and Indonesia.
The date, May 21, 1998 is remembered by the people of Indonesia as the date of the fall of the Old Order regime and the commencement of the transition of power and the strengthening of democratic institutions that took place under BJ Habibie's administration.
Meanwhile, Sept 2, 1998 was remembered by Malaysians as the commencement of the fall of the Barisan Nasional regime which finally ended almost two decades later on May 9, 2018, noted Anwar.
He said the meeting and talks with BJ Habibie would further strengthen the relations between the two countries as well as reinforce the commitment to implement the reform agenda in Malaysia.
In addition, Anwar said the Pakatan-ruled government would implement a more specific agenda, among others, to strengthen the judiciary, fairer media freedom and a more organised poverty eradication programme. — Bernama
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