PETALING JAYA: Opposing the conditional pardon granted to former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak is akin to challenging the constitutional authority of His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia, warns Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi (pic).
In expressing his gratitude to His Majesty, the Umno president said the royal decree on the conditional pardon must be respected by all.
“The conditional pardon granted under Article 42 of the Federal Constitution reflects the constitutional powers and prerogatives of His Majesty, which must be respected by all institutions and the people,” he said in a statement yesterday.
Umno maintains that any actions displaying elements of protest, including using the conditional pardon, as grounds for taking certain actions, could be construed as challenging His Majesty’s constitutional authority and showing disloyalty towards the King, he added.
Ahmad Zahid said Umno would continue to defend the dignity and sovereignty of the King and the Institution of the Malay Rulers.
He added that Malaysia is governed by the rule of law and that, as long as matters involving legal processes remain within the framework of the Federal Constitution, it is the responsibility of all citizens to uphold and defend it.
Meanwhile, it was reported that Najib’s family members and other individuals will not be residing at his Taman Duta residence as it has been gazetted as a prison, according to Wanita Umno exco member Datuk Nurulhidayah Ahmad Zahid.
In a reply to a social media post, Nurulhidayah said the former prime minister’s wife, Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, would be living at their other residence in Pavilion in Kuala Lumpur.
“It is a prison concept, so the wife and children will not live there,” she said.
“There are specific visiting hours similar to those in prison,” she added.
She said his food and drinks would also be determined by the prison authorities.
Nurulhidayah also thanked the individual who raised the question, adding that she was tired of the slander circulating surrounding the issue.
This comes after the Kuala Lumpur High Court allowed Najib to serve the remainder of his prison sentence under house arrest with immediate effect, following an application by the Attorney General’s Chambers (AGC) to review an earlier release order issued on Nov 6.
The Nov 6 order allowed Najib to be released from prison upon payment of the RM50mil fine, with the remainder of his SRC International sentence to be served under house arrest until Aug 23, 2028.
Najib began serving the remainder of his sentence under house arrest on Nov 10.
He was convicted in July 2020 of misappropriating RM42mil from SRC International Sdn Bhd and sentenced to 12 years’ imprisonment and a RM210mil fine.
