SHAH ALAM: It is up to the Pardons Board meeting to decide on whether Datuk Seri Najib Razak should serve the remainder of his SRC International Sdn Bhd conviction under house arrest, says Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
According to the Prime Minister, this was the consensus of the unity government on the matter.
“The decision must be made at the Pardons Board meeting and the final decision by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong must also be made at the meeting,” said Anwar in his speech at the PKR’s 25th anniversary convention held at the Ideal Convention Centre here yesterday.
Anwar also reiterated his stand on the purported presence of an “addendum order”.
He added the onus was on the Pardons Board, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong and the Malay Rulers to decide on the matter, which he did not intend to interfere.
Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi had filed an affidavit confirming that there was an addendum order issued by former Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah pertaining to Najib’s house arrest application.
The PKR president, who has been receiving brickbats from those opposing the possible house arrest, explained that from Merdeka till to date, there has never been a government action that undermined the role and powers of the Malay Rulers.
He said the government will neither compromise on the freedom of the judiciary nor the strength of enforcement bodies such as the Attorney General’s Chambers, the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission, the Inland Revenue Board and the police force.
“These entities must be free and able to act without any political interference,” he said.
Anwar said it was important to the reform agenda to not interfere with judicial decisions.
Ahmad Zahid, on April 9, filed an affidavit at the Kuala Lumpur High Court, claiming to have sighted a copy of an addendum order for Najib to complete his remaining prison sentence under house arrest.
Najib has been serving his sentence in Kajang Prison since Aug 23, 2022, after being convicted of embezzling RM42mil in funds belonging to SRC International.
On Sept 2, 2022, he filed a petition for a royal pardon.
On Feb 2, the Federal Territories Pardons Board halved his jail term from 12 years to six, and cut the fine from RM210mil to RM50mil.
