PETALING JAYA: Umno has expressed its gratitude to His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia, on the decision to allow former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak to serve the remainder of his sentence under house arrest.
Umno president and Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi further launched a fund to raise the RM50mil needed to settle the fine imposed on Najib for a conditional pardon and house arrest following his conviction in the SRC International Sdn Bhd case.
“Umno welcomes with profound gratitude the decision allowing Najib to serve the remainder of his sentence under house arrest.
“Umno’s stance has been to pursue this petition with propriety and humility, through the established channels. Respect for the institution of the Monarchy, the supremacy of the Constitution, and the rule of law will continue to guide us.
“I call upon all Umno members to receive this development with gratitude, to maintain decorum in their expressions and to respect all established processes,” said Ahmad Zahid.
MIC president Tan Sri M. Vigneswaran said that the conditional royal pardon should not be politicised by any party as everyone is bound by the Federal Constitution.
“The royal pardon has always been part of our system. As a Commonwealth country, our system provides for pardons to be granted by His Majesty the King.
“Once the highest court has delivered its judgment and a person has been sentenced to prison and seeks a royal pardon, everyone else serves in an ex officio capacity, except for the King. His Majesty grants a royal pardon based on the individual circumstances of each case and the guidance provided.
“Najib is not a habitual offender or a common thief, but a man who has devoted 50 years of his life to community service and the country.
“His family’s contributions to the country and to the King should also be taken into consideration.
“This does not mean that the higher a person’s status, the greater the leniency, but Najib has the right to appeal to His Majesty.
“His Majesty has obviously considered his contributions. Mistakes, negligence and omissions are part of human nature, and in balancing all these considerations in the decision-making process, everyone should respect and accept His Majesty’s decision,” said Vigneswaran.
Umno vice-president Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani said that His Majesty’s prerogative must be respected in granting Najib a conditional pardon.
“The decision to grant a conditional pardon to Najib falls within the prerogative of His Majesty. We need to respect that.
“As chairman of the 1MDB Asset Recovery Task Force, our focus remains on the broader mission of recovering 1MDB assets.
“In that regard, our attention and efforts continue to be directed at bringing back Low Taek Jho, or Jho Low, to Malaysia who is the central figure of the 1MDB scandal.
“He has yet to answer for his role in this scandal. As such the government will continue working with international partners to locate him and secure his return,” said Johari, who is also Investment, Trade and Industry Minister.
Meanwhile, Umno secretary-general Datuk Dr Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki said that a “Najib Razak Solidarity Fund” has been initiated and the contributions can be made via the Umno party account.
In a Facebook post, Asyraf said that the contributions would be voluntary.
