Malaysian ex-Premier Najib may seek full royal pardon over corruption

ISTANBUL (AA) – Malaysia’s former Prime Minister Najib Razak may seek a full royal pardon to end his six-year jail term, his legal team has said.

It came after Najib’s jail term over corruption was reduced by half to six years last week.

Najib’s lawyer Shafee Abdullah said the team “wanted to wait for the right time to file the petition,” Free Malaysia Today News reported.

“We are seriously thinking about another petition of pardon- a full pardon,” he said.

Najib, 70, was jailed in 2022 in cases related to 1 Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), a state fund he established to spur economic development.

The Southeast Asian nation’s pardons board ordered that the former prime minister’s sentence be halved by six years, and he can now be released in August 2028.

The board said it had also decided to reduce his 210 million Malaysian ringgit ($44.5 million) fine to RM50 million ($10.5 million), and his early release would be contingent on him paying the amount.

Najib is serving the term in Kajang Prison, located in the Sungai Jelok area of Selangor province.​​​​​​

However, the royal pardon granted to Najib has triggered criticisms against the unity government.

“The government’s failure to be transparent regarding the advice submitted to the pardons board indicates a disregard for the people’s right to know the truth,” election watchdog Bersih said in a statement.

Bersih, or Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections, said the reduced sentence was just the “latest reward” doled out to “political elites” and has “fueled the people’s anger.”

“This situation sends a strong signal that the people can no longer remain silent, as the trajectory for institutional and political reform in the country veers off course,” Bersih said.