SHAH ALAM: The final decision on a pardon rests with the Ruler of a state or the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, says Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
The Prime Minister said every prisoner, including former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, had the right to submit a petition for consideration by the Pardons Board.
“What I have said is that every prisoner has the right to submit a petition. I will continue to defend that right.
“Anyone, including Datuk Seri Najib, has the right to submit a petition for consideration by the Pardons Board,” he said at a reunion tea gathering for Reformasi movement pioneers here on Sunday (Sept 20).
Anwar said the Prime Minister’s advice, as well as the Attorney General’s views, had to be considered in the process.
However, he said his advice did not amount to a recommendation for Najib to be granted a pardon.
“Did my advice lead towards that decision? No.
“I continued to remind them about the cases that are still ongoing. I also reminded them that the fine was too large, and that the impact on public confidence in the system and international perception must be taken into account,” he said.
Anwar said that although the Prime Minister’s advice had to be considered in many matters, the power and discretion to decide on a pardon rested with the Ruler or the King.
“Once a decision is made, we accept it,” he said.
He stressed that the conditional pardon would not affect legal proceedings in Najib’s other cases.
“We have not surrendered and we will not surrender. We will proceed with the cases that are still before the courts. The 1MDB case is continuing, and the civil cases are also continuing,” he said.
On Sept 18, Najib was granted a conditional pardon by His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia, allowing him to serve the remainder of his SRC International prison sentence under house arrest until Aug 23, 2028.
The conditional pardon, decided at the 64th meeting of the Federal Territories Pardons Board for Kuala Lumpur, Labuan and Putrajaya at Istana Negara, is subject to Najib paying a RM50mil fine and complying with all other conditions.
The Legal Affairs Division of the Prime Minister’s Department said the conditional pardon would be automatically revoked if Najib failed to comply with any of the conditions, requiring him to immediately return to prison to serve the remainder of his sentence.
Separately, Anwar had said on Sept 18 that his duty as Prime Minister was to advise on legal implications, national stability and the rule of law, as well as consider the Attorney General’s advice.
“Ultimately, the Constitution vests the power in the Yang di-Pertuan Agong,” he had said.
