Umno welcomes court's decision in Najib Razak's case
At the Umno's Supreme Council meeting on Wednesday (Aug 13), party secretary‑general Datuk Dr Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki ( pic ) expressed relief at the development.
'This decision provides relief to efforts to obtain justice for Najib, and we will continue to be committed to using all available channels to obtain a defence for Najib,' he told reporters after the meeting.
Former prime minister Najib, 71, has been serving his sentence at Kajang Prison since Aug 23, 2022, after being convicted of misappropriating RM42mil from SRC International Sdn Bhd.
He filed a petition for a royal pardon on Sept 2, 2022, which led to the Pardons Board's decision to reduce his prison sentence from 12 years to six years and his fine from RM210mil to RM50mil.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Star
an hour ago
- The Star
Anwar denies seeking legal immunity
KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has denied claims that he is seeking legal immunity to avoid civil or criminal proceedings. He says his application to refer eight legal questions to the Federal Court concerns whether actions against a prime minister can be frivolous, vexatious or an abuse of process. 'Immunity means it cannot be disputed,' he said. 'The application is for the court to decide if anyone can attack the prime minister in a frivolous and vexatious manner that interferes with our work,' added Anwar. 'That is what the application is about and it is up to the court. The court makes the decision, not the prime minister,' he said in reply to Cha Kee Chin (PH–Rasah). In June, the High Court dismissed Anwar's application to refer eight constitutional questions to the Federal Court on immunity provisions for a sitting prime minister. Judge Roz Mawar Rozain ruled it did not meet the requirements under Section 84 of the Courts of Judicature Act. She said the questions were speculative, not necessary for disposal of the case and did not concern the interpretation or validity of any constitutional provision.
Daily Express
2 hours ago
- Daily Express
King must follow pardons board's advice, lawyer tells court
Published on: Thursday, August 14, 2025 Published on: Thu, Aug 14, 2025 By: V Anbalagan, FMT Text Size: The Malaysian Bar took its case to the Court of Appeal, seeking to overturn a lower court's refusal to grant leave for a judicial review against the Federal Territories Pardons Board's decision in Najib Razak's SRC International case. PUTRAJAYA: The Yang di-Pertuan Agong is required to follow the advice of the Federal Territories Pardons Board (FTPB) following a 1994 constitutional amendment, the Court of Appeal heard today. Lawyer Yeo Yang Poh said there could only be one decision in the pardon process after Article 40(1A) was added to the Federal Constitution that year. The provision stipulates that the king 'shall accept and act in accordance with' advice in the exercise of his functions under the constitution or federal law. 'The FTPB now decides for the king, which is in line with a constitutional monarchy. 'The king does not make a second decision,' Yeo said in the Malaysian Bar's appeal to reverse the High Court's refusal to grant leave for a judicial review challenging the FTPB's decision in former prime minister Najib Razak's SRC International case. The appeal was heard by Justices Lim Chong Fong, Azhahari Kamal Ramli, and Leonard David Shim. On Feb 2, 2024, the FTPB announced that the former prime minister's prison sentence following his conviction in the SRC case had been reduced from 12 years to six, and his fine from RM210 million to RM50 million. Yeo, who appeared with Zainur Zakaria, Rajpal Singh Ghai, and Ahmad Amir Mahmood, said previously that the personal decision made by the king was held to be non-justiciable. 'After Article 40(1A), the king no longer has personal discretion, without which no prerogative exists,' he added. He said the king now exercised his constitutional power by accepting and implementing the FTPB's decision, and that the constitutional change elevated the monarch above the fray of any perceived political influence or personal preference. 'A decision made by a statutory body such as the FTPB is justiciable,' he said, adding that the Bar's leave application was far from frivolous. Yeo said the courts had consistently taken the position, following the 1985 case of Sim Kie Chon v Superintendent of Pudu Prison & Others, that the decision of a pardons board is not subject to legal challenge, as they were in the UK. In November last year, Justice Ahmad Kamal Shahid held that the king's decision and the FTPB's advice were part and parcel of a single process culminating in the pardon. Consequently, Ahmad Kamal, now a Court of Appeal judge, said that the subject matter of the Bar's proposed judicial review application was not suitable or appropriate to be reviewed by the court. The judge ruled that the prerogative of mercy, under Article 42 of the constitution, involved a direct exercise of the king's personal discretion. The Bar filed its application in the High Court on April 26, 2024, naming the FTPB and Najib as respondents. It sought declarations that the FTPB's Jan 29 decision halving Najib's prison sentence and reducing his fine was illegal, unconstitutional, and invalid. Najib was convicted of misappropriating RM42 million from SRC and has been serving his sentence in Kajang prison since Aug 23, 2022. He filed a petition for a royal pardon on Sept 2, 2022. Senior federal counsel Ahmad Hanir Hambaly appeared for the FTPB, while Shafee Abdullah represented Najib. The hearing has been adjourned to a date to be fixed after case management on Aug 18. * Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel and Telegram for breaking news alerts and key updates! * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
New Straits Times
2 hours ago
- New Straits Times
Move on from upside-down flag incident, says Chow
GEORGE TOWN: Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said all parties should remain calm and move on from the recent incident of the upside-down Jalur Gemilang in Kepala Batas. Commenting on a planned gathering this afternoon, Chow said police had investigated the matter. "The investigation papers have been submitted to the Attorney General's Chambers. The process has been sufficient and complete. "It is time to move on," he said after the inauguration of international chipmaker AMD's new state-of-the-art office and engineering lab in Bayan Lepas here. Chow said Umno Youth chief Datuk Dr Muhamad Akmal Saleh was welcome to visit Penang to view the big flag that was put up by the alleged perpetrator of the first incident as an apology. He said Dr Akmal should also enjoy the nasi kandar that Umno youth chief said he planned to have. "We also have durians here. He is welcome to come and enjoy Penang's food. "Just don't cause trouble," he added. The incident sparked public outrage after a video clip of the national flag being flown upside-down outside a hardware store in Kepala Batas went viral. Police have concluded their investigation, and the shop owner claimed it was a mistake during the process of adjusting the flagpole height. The shop owner had said that he was willing to accept whatever consequences. Earlier today, Bukit Aman urged organisers to cancel today's gathering over the incident. Inspector-General of Police Datuk Seri Mohd Khalid Ismail said the police took seriously any issue that could compromise public safety and well-being. To date, 38 police reports have been lodged nationwide, 17 in Penang and 21 in other states. The investigation includes offences under Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act for disseminating offensive content.
