JOHOR BARU: DAP’s Tony Pua, Amanah president Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu and the Malaysian Bar should seek clarification from Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim if they are confused over Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s house arrest, says the Johor Mentri Besar.
Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi said Anwar himself stated during a Dewan Rakyat sitting on Dec 10, 2024, that he brought the former prime minister’s pardon application before the Pardons Board for consideration.
"In the session, Anwar said he was the one who brought the pardon (matter) to be included in the agenda.
"Their own top leader was the one who brought it before the Pardons Board," Onn Hafiz said on Facebook on Thursday (Nov 12).
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He also accused Pua and his DAP associates of repeatedly stirring controversy involving the royal institution, saying the Palace should not be dragged into political disputes.
Citing a previous police investigation involving Pua over remarks concerning a decree by the Sultan of Selangor, Onn Hafiz said disrespect and disloyalty towards the Rulers must not be normalised.
He added that every prisoner has the right to seek a pardon, while the power to grant pardons is the prerogative of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong under Article 42 of the Federal Constitution.
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He said the pardon process also involved representatives of the Federal Government and the Attorney General.
He further said the Yang di-Pertuan Agong had also stated that the conditional pardon order was clear and should be respected, adding that questioning the order was akin to disobeying the King’s decree.
"Why does Pua still want the people to direct their questions to the Palace?
"If there are questions about its implementation, ask the parties responsible," he said.
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On Wednesday (Nov 11), Mohamad had offered to donate his entire ministerial salary until the dissolution of Parliament to support the campaign for a legal mechanism for house arrests to apply to all prisoners.
He said NGOs, legal practitioners and civil society groups should push for such a mechanism to ensure equal rights and treatment for all Malaysians.
Pua, in a social media post recently, said enquiries about Najib's house arrest should be directed to the Palace, citing His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia's recent statement that the Attorney General and the Federal Territories Minister, representing the government, had presented their case to him, but the decision to grant Najib clemency was his prerogative and could not be challenged.
The Malaysian Bar said it is also seeking leave from the High Court to challenge the Pardons Board's decision in relation to Najib’s house arrest.
