KUALA LUMPUR – A decision on convicted former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s application for pardon has been made, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar said.
“Yes, it has been decided, Wait for the Pardons Board announcement,” Anwar told reporters at the Pertama Food Complex in Jalan Dang Wangi today.
Later after Friday prayers at Masjid Jamek, Anwar told reporters there the decision would likely be announced today.
“I believe so,” he replied when asked.
Asked about the extent to which the decision would affect the government, Anwar replied: “That is under the Pardons Board and the Yang di-Pertuan Agong”.
Members of the media had trailed Anwar on his programme today at the Pertama Complex and then Masjid Jamek in anticipation of news regarding Najib’s application for a pardon.
Since last month, various media organisations have been speculating over the date of the Pardons Board meeting, and if Najib would be given a royal pardon.
The meeting was held at Istana Negara on Monday, January 29, a day before immediate past Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah, ended his reign on January 30.
Najib was convicted by the Kuala Lumpur High Court in July 2020 of corruption involving RM42 million of funds belonging to SRC International, a former subsidiary of 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB).
In August 2022, he lost his final appeal against conviction at the Federal Court, which upheld the conviction and sentence of 12 years in prison as well as a fine of RM210 million. He began serving his prison sentence on August 2022.
Najib submitted his application for a pardon in September 2022.
The former prime minister and ex-finance minister also has three other court cases pending.
They are for alleged corruption involving RM2.3 billion of the 1MDB funds, which is currently in the trial stage; misappropriation of RM6.6 billion in relation to International Petroleum Investment Company (IPIC) for which the trial is to begin in June; and money laundering charges involving RM27 million of SRC International funds, which is to be heard in September. – February 2, 2024