Umno to seek audience with Agong for Najib's pardon

The top Umno leadership will seek an audience with the Yang di-Pertuan Agong to plead for a pardon for Najib Razak following the Federal Court's ruling denying the former prime minister's review application in the SRC International case.

The decision was made at the Umno Supreme Council meeting today.

A statement by secretary-general Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki also criticised the decision last week by the five-man panel headed by judge Abdul Rahman Sebli, the only one among them who dissented from the majority judgement.

Abdul Rahman opined among others that it was wrong for the Federal Court panel headed by Chief Justice Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat in August last year not to allow an adjournment to give more time for Najib's newly appointed counsel to prepare for the final appeal.

His view was today repeated by Umno, which said the "unfair" decision had led to "extreme grief and anxiety among the Umno grassroots members".

Asyraf also said that a total of 191 Umno divisions nationwide had submitted memorandums urging the leadership to come to the defence of the former party president "who has contributed so much to the people and country".

"As such, the Supreme Council has unanimously agreed to seek an audience to present a letter of appeal to His Majesty the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, along with a memorandum signed by the Umno leadership from 191 divisions including the Women, Youth and Puteri wings," he added.

Najib, whose administration was toppled at the 14th general election, was slapped with a string of criminal charges after stepping down from the top office. 

The SRC International case saw him charged with criminal breach of trust, money laundering and abuse of power related to the misappropriation of RM42 million.

On July 28, 2020, the Kuala Lumpur High Court convicted him of all seven charges, fining him RM210 million and sentencing him to 12 years in jail. 

The decision was upheld by the Court of Appeal on Dec 8, 2021, and the Federal Court on March 31 dismissed his application for a review of the appeals court's judgment.