KUALA LUMPUR: Umno will leave it to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong to decide whether former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak should be granted a pardon, says Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
He said the party could only hope for the best ahead of the Pardons Board meeting.
“The authority ultimately lies with the King, through His Majesty’s wisdom and sole discretion,” he said. Ahmad Zahid was responding to questions on his expectations ahead of the Federal Territories Pardons Board meeting today.
The meeting is expected to consider Najib’s clemency bid.
Najib, 72, is currently serving a six-year jail sentence after being convicted of misappropriating RM42mil belonging to SRC International.
He was originally sentenced to 12 years in prison and fined RM210mil.
In 2024, the Pardons Board subsequently halved his prison term to six years and reduced the fine to RM50mil.
Meanwhile, Umno Youth chief Datuk Dr Muhammad Akmal Saleh said the party had never questioned the King’s prerogative when Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim was granted a full pardon.
He said Umno had also never accused the courts of acting unfairly or challenged their decisions.
“When the court punished Datuk Seri Najib Razak, we were upset but never said the courts were acting unfairly or challenged it.
“Even when Datuk Seri Anwar received a royal pardon, we never questioned the Yang di-Pertuan Agong’s prerogative. We respect the decisions by the court and uphold the authority of the Rulers,” he said at the Umno Youth general assembly.
Anwar received a royal pardon from then Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Muhammad V following Pakatan Harapan’s victory in the 14th General Election in 2018.
On Wednesday, Umno criticised the Pakatan secretariat council for allegedly pre-empting the Pardons Board’s hearing of Najib’s case.
Pakatan had said that those convicted of corruption or abuse of power, particularly in high-profile cases, should serve the full sentences imposed by the courts.
