Umno supreme council to seek audience with King to present pardon application for Najib

KUALA LUMPUR: The Umno supreme council will be seeking an audience with the Yang di-Pertuan Agong to present an application to consider a royal pardon for former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak.

Umno secretary-general Datuk Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki said this was unanimously agreed by party supreme council members at a meeting on Friday (April 7) to request the King to consider pardoning Najib, as provided under Article 42(1) of the Constitution.

"The Umno supreme council unanimously agreed to seek an audience to present an appeal to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, as well as a memorandum signed by 191 divisions, including the Women's, Puteri and Youth wings," said Asyraf in a statement on Friday (April 7).

Asyraf said the Umno supreme council is aware that many party grassroots leaders were saddened by the Federal Court's decision to dismiss Najib's bid for leave to review his conviction and sentence in the RM42mil SRC International Sdn Bhd case.

"It is a decision that is seen as unfair and this is in line with remarks of Chief Judge of Sabah and Sarawak Datuk Abdul Rahman Sebli, who chaired the five-member bench of the Federal Court and said Najib did not receive a fair trial and he should be released and acquitted," said Asyraf.

He also said the Umno supreme council received a memorandum by 191 divisions, including the Women's, Youth and Puteri wings, who are urging the Umno leadership to defend Najib, saying that the former premier had contributed much to the nation.

Meanwhile, Asyraf said the Umno supreme council decided to set the party supreme council this year from June 7 till June 10.

Najib, 69, is currently serving a 12-year jail term in Kajang prison.

He had previously sought to overturn a decision by a Federal Court panel led by Chief Justice Tun Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat on Aug 23.

However, on March 31, the Federal Court delivered a 4-1 majority decision, dismissing Najib's bid for leave to review his conviction and sentence in the RM42mil SRC International Sdn Bhd case.

On March 31, Abdul Rahman released a 78-page minority judgement that stated Najib did not have legal representation after counsel of his choice Datuk Hisyam Teh Poh Teik had refused to represent him further in the final appeal and the Federal Court was wrong when it refused to allow Hisyam to discharge himself.

Najib's lead counsel Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah had also said the dissenting judgement by Abdul Rahman will be used to support Najib's application for a royal pardon.