JOHOR BARU: Johor Umno has called for the immediate implementation of the conditional pardon order allowing former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak to serve the remainder of his prison sentence under house arrest.
Johor Umno information chief Md Israk Abdullah said the clarification issued by His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia, on Saturday (Nov 7) had made it clear that the order was unambiguous and should not be subjected to further delays.
"Johor Umno urges all parties responsible to immediately complete the implementation of the order.
"As emphasised in His Majesty's statement, all stipulated conditions have been fulfilled. Therefore, its implementation should no longer be delayed," he said in a statement on Saturday.
Md Israk said the necessary coordination and procedures should have been prepared since the order was consented to on Sept 18.
"Questions of interpretation and procedures should not continue to drag on and delay the implementation of a decision that has already received royal consent," he said.
He added that Johor Umno fully respected the Yang di-Pertuan Agong's position that the exercise of the royal pardon powers must be upheld in accordance with the constitutional monarchy and the rule of law.
Earlier, Istana Negara issued a statement clarifying that the conditional pardon order allowing Najib to serve the remainder of his prison sentence under house arrest was clear, explicit and free from any ambiguity.
The statement came after the Attorney General's Chambers (AGC) called for the implementation of Najib's house arrest to be temporarily deferred pending clarification of legal questions surrounding the order.
On Friday (Nov 6), Najib's lawyer Muhammad Farhan Muhammad Shafee confirmed that the RM50mil fine imposed on Najib in the SRC International Sdn Bhd case had been paid by Umno to the Kuala Lumpur High Court registry.
However, the AGC later called for the implementation to be temporarily deferred pending clarification of legal questions surrounding the conditional pardon order and its implications for Najib’s remaining prison sentence.
Najib was sentenced to 12 years in prison and fined RM210mil in 2020 after being found guilty of abuse of power, criminal breach of trust and money laundering involving RM42mil belonging to SRC International.
On Sept 18, His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim had granted Najib a conditional pardon in his SRC International Sdn Bhd case, allowing him to serve the remainder of his prison sentence under house arrest until Aug 23, 2028.
The order, however, was conditional upon Najib paying the RM50mil fine.
