KUALA LUMPUR: Umno never questioned the Yang di-Pertuan Agong’s prerogative when Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim was given a full royal pardon, says Datuk Dr Muhammad Akmal Saleh.
He said Umno too had never labelled the courts as acting unfairly or challenged it.
“When the court punished Datuk Seri Najib Razak, we were upset but never said the courts were acting unfairly or challenged it.
“Instead, we pursued official channels. We also never took to the streets, nor ordered to do so by our leaders.
“Even when Datuk Seri Anwar received a royal pardon, we never questioned the Yang di-Pertuan Agong’s prerogative,” he said in his speech at the Youth wing’s annual general assembly here on Thursday (Sept 10).
Anwar was imprisoned in 1998 and again in 2015.
He was pardoned by Sultan Muhammad V after Pakatan Harapan won the GE14 in 2018.
On Wednesday (Sept 9), Umno criticised the Pakatan Harapan secretariat council for pre-empting the consideration of the Pardons Board.
Its secretary-general Datuk Dr Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki also criticised Pakatan for allegedly questioning the pardon powers of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.
"The power to grant pardons is a prerogative of His Majesty, clearly provided for under Article 42(1) of the Federal Constitution, and should not be questioned by any party.
"If Pakatan was able to support the pardon granted to Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim even though he had not completed his full sentence at the time, why should a different standard now be applied to others?" said Asyraf Wajdi in a statement on Wednesday (Sept 9).
Pakatan earlier issued a statement saying that those convicted of corruption or abuse of power, particularly in high-profile cases, should serve the full sentences imposed by the courts.
