Royal Pardon is not an Option for Najib

 




By Stephen Ng

 

Although disgraced Prime Minister, Najib Abdul Razak has 14 days to file in for Royal Pardon, this is not an option that would be accepted by the people.

            It would certainly not look good for Umno as a political party either, as people link Najib to Umno. Public opinion is that, whether Umno leaders or otherwise, no one is above the law.

            No one, with a sound mind, would agree that the former Umno veteran be given a special treatment by the Agong.

            Even when Najib appeared in the palace for a meal together with the Agong, public outcry was loud and clear. Here was a convict who was allowed to move freely in the royal palace, bringing disgrace to the good name of the monarchy.

The Odds against Najib

            Therefore, it is unlikely that the Agong will grant him a pardon especially with a case that involves 12 years of imprisonment and a fine of RM210 million. This is also a case that has attracted international attention over 10 years.

            The case has gone all the way to the apex court, and all nine judges – one at High Court, three at Appeal Court and five at Federal Court – have found Najib guilty as charged. Credit should go to the ad hoc prosecutors Sri Ram Gopal and V. Sithambaram who did a fine job in presenting the evidences in court. Both are lawyers who deserve our respect; one is a Datuk Seri, the other only a Datuk.

            The evidences against Najib in the SRC International case is insurmountable. Except for attempts to recuse the Federal Judge, Tun Maimun Tuan Mat and to discredit the then High Court judge, Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali, who found Najib guilty, Najib’s lawyer had failed to give fresh evidence that could turn the case around.

            Zaid Ibrahim and Hisyam Teh Poh Teik, despite knowing that they were fighting a losing battle, had miscalculated their move by claiming that they needed another few months to study the case.

Therefore, the five federal judges who decided unanimously to reject Najib’s appeal have made the right decision, instead of wasting more of the court’s time. The felon has to be sent to the gaol!

            Public opinion is that Najib had committed these crimes as alleged, and if not for Nazlan’s decision to allow the jail terms to run concurrently, Najib would have to spend the rest of his natural life in jail. In total, it would be 72 years! Twelve years is, therefore, a fair sentence for the former Pekan MP.

            To seek for royal pardon without spending at least three-quarter of the term in jail, Najib would bring great dishonour even to the palace. In the case of Anwar Ibrahim, it was a crime against certain individuals, but Najib’s crime has left the nation in great debts to be settled in the billions of Ringgit.

As members of the civil society, we had endured all the nonsense of this felon and his wife, Rosmah Mansor for more than one decade. And public opinion is that the time has come for them to ‘chill it’ behind bars. Those who want to continue his legacy would probably have to end up in the same prison.

Rosmah, for example, if she has to spend even a year in jail should not demand prison wardens to change the curtains for her prison cell. Or, complain about the food served to her.

            Although Najib had on August 8, 2022 withdrawn his allegations of bribery against Justice Nazlan, until today, his lawyer Zaid is still repeating the same allegation that the then High Court Judge who convicted and sentenced Najib to 12 years’ jail and RM210mil fine for misappropriating RM42mil of SRC International Bhd funds has ‘conflict of interest.

            Allegations of ‘conflict of interest’ is subjective, but the facts presented in court are objective and they speak volume about the crime committed.

 A few more court cases are up against Najib. So, even if he is released on royal pardon, he may not escape the other cases.

Good Behaviours or Ill Health not a strong reason

            For someone who has irked the whole nation throughout the past decade, Najib cannot anyhow appeal to the Agong on account of good behaviours.

Many years ago, when I was writing a story about Kajang prison, the warden told me that even the worst of criminals who are in prison will behave well before the wardens. So, it is not good behaviours that people will buy, but it is ultimately what he had done against the nation that needs to be taken into consideration when a royal pardon is granted.

            There are many more prisoners who were committed to life imprisonment who deserve to be pardoned, and these are the cases that should receive the royal pardon, with the hope that when they return to society, they are able to contribute to society in a positive manner instead of playing on racial and religious sentiments.

            It would not surprise us if tomorrow, Najib complains of illnesses or poor health. At his age, anything can happen, yet such is not a good excuse for clemency. Many aged politicians overseas have been serving their prison term without the benefits of a royal pardon. A crime is a crime, especially one that has made such a great impact on the nation’s wellbeing. Najib should not think he is anyone special.

            The only difference is that, in prison, he will be given medical treatment befitting a citizen of the country. He cannot expect that a royal pardon would be granted just by falling ill, and before we know it, a series of drama would unfold outside the prison walls.

            We should not forget that the whole world is paying attention on Najib’s case, and although many of us know he was the one identified as the Official No 1, justice was only finally upheld by five federal judges.

We have taken note that, unlike Anwar’s case, no leaders around the world have spoken up against the judgement made by the apex court.

            As the Malay proverbial saying goes, ‘Pandai-pandai tupai melompat, akhirnya jatuh juga.’ The squirrel that hops happily from one branch to another thinking that it was smart eventually fall to the ground before five – three women and two men – incorruptible judges.

            I wish to end with a saying from the social media, `Cash is king, but Law is Queen.’

 

END.

 Here is another good explanation:




 Also read:

https://come-to-senses.blogspot.com/2022/08/najib-should-know-what-appeal-to.html 

 

 


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