More transparency needed in the pardons process, says NGO

PETALING JAYA: There is a need to reform the pardons process and to make it more transparent, says the Centre to Combat Corruption and Cronyism (C4).

These were among the suggestions made by C4 in the wake of the decision by the Pardons Board on Friday (Feb 2) to reduce the sentence imposed on Datuk Seri Najib Razak after he was found guilty of corruption.

"Introduce a minimum criteria for eligibility to apply for pardons and a fair and transparent procedure for the processing of pardon applications," C4 said in a statement on Sunday (Feb 4).

The graft watchdog described the Pardon Board's decision as a "watershed moment" for the nation to reform the pardon process.

"We must be prepared to recognise that the pardons process should undergo appropriate reforms to better reflect the needs of the country.

"Suitable limits should be introduced in order to uphold justice and fairness for all, such as mandatory minimum periods for serving one's prison sentence before a pardon application may be considered and a restriction against granting pardons where other criminal prosecutions of a similar nature are still pending against the individual," C4 said in a statement on Sunday (Feb 4).

It noted that other nations have guiding principles to guide the body which determines pardons.

"Canada stipulates minimum 'waiting periods' to be eligible to apply and requires evidence of substantial injustice or undue hardship arising from the nature of the sentence or conviction," it added.

Although the power to grant pardons is constitutionally afforded to the King and each state Ruler and cannot be challenged in court, C4 said the public should be allowed to have open, sincere and respectful discussions on the topic for the betterment of the nation.

C4 said that the recent decision to commute Najib's sentence carried ramifications for the current administration under Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and the nation as a whole.

Besides generating a negative public perception of the national institutions and the criminal justice system, C4 said the decision also brings the monarchy into disrepute by dragging them through the "quagmire of politics and power".

C4 also said that the decision could also cause a dent in foreign investors' confidence.

"It is now incumbent upon Anwar and his ministers to work even harder to reverse the growing trust deficit in his leadership, lest his legacy as the leader of the Reformasi itself is shattered irreparably," added C4.