Najib's pardon 'in court of compassion' at king's discretion, says Azalina

Former prime minister Najib Razak’s royal pardon petition does not involve legal aspects but rests entirely on the discretion of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Umno information chief Azalina Othman Said says.

She said it was the power exercisable by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong as enshrined in Article 42 of the Federal Constitution.

"No more legal aspects, no more legal procedures, it is now in a court of compassion, at the king’s discretion. 

"We cannot do anything... let the king decide or study it first if he wants... we (Umno) are no longer involved," she said in Putrajaya today.

Azalina, who is also the minister in charge of law and institutional reform, said this in response to remarks by lawyer Mohamed Haniff Khatri Abdulla that Umno could not file the royal pardon petition for Najib.

The lawyer said according to Regulation 113 of the Prison Regulations 2000, the petition can only be filed by Najib himself, his family members or the lawyer appointed by Najib and the Prisons Department.

Prior to this, it was reported that the Umno Supreme Council had agreed to seek an audience with the king to present a memorandum asking for Najib to be granted a full pardon.

On Aug 23, 2022, the Federal Court upheld Najib’s conviction, 12-year jail sentence and RM210 million fine for the misappropriation of RM42 million in SRC International funds.

On March 31, the court dismissed his application for a review of its decision. Najib is currently serving his sentence at Kajang Prison.

The former Pekan MP was reported to have filed a petition seeking a royal pardon for his conviction in the SRC International case in September last year.