Packed off to jail, can Najib manage a comeback?

Political analysts say Najib Razak might still have hope of a comeback after being sent to prison by the Federal Court to serve time for charges linked to the misappropriation of tens of millions, although the extent of his influence would remain to be seen. 

Those who spoke to MalaysiaNow said Najib could still rise again if he succeeds in obtaining a pardon from Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah. 

But whether he would still hold the same sway is anyone's guess, they said, citing the example of PKR chief Anwar Ibrahim who was jailed in 1999 on charges of abusing power. 

In that case, Anwar was sentenced to six years in jail. The following year, he was handed an imprisonment of another nine years for charges of committing sodomy. In 2004, however, this conviction was overturned by the Federal Court. 

But despite still wielding popular support as well as support from foreign countries, coupled with the continued momentum of the reform movement and mass protests, he was unable to overthrow the Barisan Nasional (BN) government on his own and instal himself as prime minister in Putrajaya.  

Pakatan Harapan only succeeded in toppling BN with the added strength of former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad and his party at the time, Bersatu. 

Political analyst Mujibu Abd Muis said Najib still had hope of staging a comeback given his loyal support base which had remained behind him even after he was ousted as prime minister at the 2018 general election. 

Mujibu, of Universiti Teknologi Mara, said Najib's political aura was rooted in a strong dynastic history, particularly from his father Abdul Razak Hussein who was Malaysia's second prime minister. 

This, along with his "Bossku" tagline which he had used to rebrand himself after his fall from power, had kept him relevant among his supporters, especially in terms of helping BN gain support in rural areas. 

"If he wants to return to the political arena, this is strong proof that he still has hope," Mujibu said. 

He said Najib's biggest hurdle would be his ineligibility to contest an election, as the Federal Court's ruling yesterday meant that the former prime minister's Pekan seat was automatically vacated.

"That's why his final option is to get a pardon," he said. 

"If Najib manages to pull that off, he will have no problem at all because his influence and background are still strong, and his personality and service to the people are hard to forget." 

Opposition chief Anwar, for instance, had received an unconditional pardon on May 16, 2018 from Sultan Muhammad V, who was the Agong at the time. 

This allowed him to leave prison and clear his name after being sentenced to five years in jail for a sodomy offence, and to run for the Port Dickson parliamentary seat. 

Analyst Oh Ei Sun from the Singapore Institute of International Affairs said Najib would certainly attempt to return to politics by getting a pardon like Anwar. 

"For sure, this is not the end," he added. 

He said Najib would try to rally sympathy by portraying his prosecution as politically motivated. 

"He can return to the political arena," he said. "He will try for the same solution as Anwar." 

In the event that he does manage to pull off a return, Mujibu said Najib would have other opportunities as the former Umno president had entered the political world through different means than Anwar.

While Najib could be seen as Anwar's equal, he said, he had a different aura thanks to his father. 

"Anwar came from the people while Najib came from an elite family," he said. 

"Their situations are different but their scopes of influence are both strong. This gives them their individual strengths."