Batu Umno to launch solidarity fund for Najib

KUALA LUMPUR: Batu Umno will launch a solidarity fund to support former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak following the decision allowing him to serve the remainder of his prison sentence under house arrest.

Batu Umno chief Datuk Gulam Muszaffar Gulam Mustakim said the initiative would be launched by the division to provide support for Najib following the latest development involving his conditional royal pardon.

The announcement comes after the Legal Affairs Division said today that Najib had been granted a conditional royal pardon by the King, Sultan Ibrahim, allowing him to serve the remainder of his sentence under house arrest until Aug 23, 2028.

The decision was made at the 64th meeting of the Pardons Board for the Federal Territories of Kuala Lumpur, Labuan and Putrajaya, chaired by the King.

Under the terms announced, Najib is required to pay a RM50 million fine and comply with the conditions attached to the conditional pardon. Failure to do so could result in the pardon being revoked and his return to prison.

Najib, who was convicted in the SRC International case, began serving his original 12-year sentence at Kajang Prison in August 2022 after the Federal Court upheld his conviction.

In 2024, the Pardons Board reduced his prison term from 12 years to six years and his original RM210 million fine to RM50 million.

Gulam said further details on the solidarity fund, including its mechanism and how contributions could be made, would be announced by Batu Umno.

He said the initiative reflected the division’s continued support for Najib and was intended to allow party members and supporters to contribute voluntarily.

The move follows Umno president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s announcement that the party would also launch a nationwide donation drive to help Najib settle the RM50 million fine imposed as part of the conditional pardon.