Najib’s Pardon Not a Political ‘Gift’, Malay Unity a Separate Issue – Khaled Nordin

KOTA TINGGI: The pardon granted to former Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak should not be used as political ammunition ahead of the 16th General Election (GE16).

UMNO Vice-President Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin said the decision should be understood as a conditional pardon rather than a full pardon.

“The issue of pardons is nothing new. Pardons have been granted in many cases, including those involving individuals sentenced to death, life imprisonment and others.

“It is not appropriate for any party to dispute the matter because it falls under the absolute power and prerogative of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong,” he said.

He was speaking at a press conference after the Kota Tinggi parliamentary-level Maulidur Rasul celebration at Dewan Besar Felda Air Tawar 2 near here on Sunday.

Previously, Pasir Gudang MP Hassan Abdul Karim said the conditional pardon granted to Najib Razak had given Pakatan Harapan (PH) a political “gift” heading into GE16.

Hassan further said that, politically, Najib had now become a significant burden for both UMNO and PAS.

Meanwhile, Mohamed Khaled stressed that Najib’s pardon had no connection with the election or efforts to unite the Malays, as the two were separate matters.

He said the issue of Malay unity should be viewed in the context of the political position and influence of the Malays, which he claimed had been increasingly weakened by divisions among Malay political parties.

“The election is a separate matter. That is about Malay unity. It is about Malays feeling that despite the existence of many Malay political parties, Malay political influence is becoming weaker.

“It has nothing to do with this issue. This is about the Yang di-Pertuan Agong’s decision for Datuk Seri Najib to serve his sentence under house arrest,” he said.

On Friday, Sultan Ibrahim, Yang di-Pertuan Agong, granted Najib a conditional pardon allowing him to serve the remainder of his sentence under house arrest until Aug 23, 2028, subject to the payment of a RM50 million fine and compliance with stipulated conditions.

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

Sinar Harian