Umno supreme council to hold special meeting on Najib's pardon on Feb 3

PETALING JAYA: The Umno supreme council will hold a special meeting on Saturday to discuss recent political developments in the country, says party President Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

"The meeting will be held at 11am on Saturday (Feb 3) to discuss the latest political developments in the country, particularly those linked to the Pardons Board’s decision to reduce Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s sentence," said Ahmad Zahid.

In a statement on Friday (Feb 2) night, Ahmad Zahid said the party has also decided to postpone the Bumiputera Economy Congress Colloquium which was scheduled for Saturday.

The colloquium was supposed to be chaired by Umno Vice President Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani, for which some 2,000 Umno leaders from 191 divisions nationwide were expected.

Previously, the Pardons Board announced that the jail sentence of the convicted former prime minister had been reduced from 12 years to six.

According to a statement by the board, Najib would be released on Aug 23, 2028 and the fine has been reduced to RM50mil from RM210mil.

"However, if the fine is not paid, a year will be added to the jail term and the release date will then be on Aug 23, 2029," the Pardons Board secretariat said on Friday.