PUTRAJAYA: Najib Razak’s supporters outside the Palace of Justice here have expressed sadness and disappointment over the apex court’s decision to reject the former prime minister’s bid to review his conviction and sentence in the SRC International case.
Badariah Adam and Mustafa Mahsuri voiced their disappointment over the Federal Court’s decision, but said they will continue praying for the former Umno president.
“We love (Najib) because he’s ‘bossku’,” Badariah said, referring to Najib’s popular moniker.
Meanwhile, Pekan resident, Jailani Othman said he has been following Najib’s case since it began, adding that he personally felt the court’s decision lacked transparency.
The 59-year-old said he and other supporters will continue to pray that their former MP would be freed from prison soon.
“I’m saddened by today’s decision, because I’ve been following Najib’s case from the start, reading about it in the newspapers,” Jailani told FMT.
There were more than a hundred supporters of Najib who had gathered outside the Palace of Justice since early in the morning. Most were ferried over in five buses while some drove their own vehicles all the way from Pekan, Pahang.
The group of supporters from Najib’s former constituency also included 12 single mothers who had been waiting outside the court complex since 7am.
Meanwhile, a small group of women supporters started chanting “Bebas Bossku” (Release ‘Bossku’) outside the court complex as members of the media waited for Najib’s legal team to give a press conference.
In a majority decision, the Federal Court rejected Najib’s bid to review his conviction and sentence in the SRC case. Chief Judge of Sabah and Sarawak Rahman Sebli was the sole dissenting judge.
Najib will continue serving the remainder of his 12-year prison term, unless he secures a royal pardon from the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.
On July 28, 2020, Najib was convicted by Justice Nazlan Ghazali, then a High Court judge, for abuse of power, money laundering and criminal breach of trust (CBT) over SRC funds amounting to RM42 million.
He was sentenced to 12 years in jail and fined RM210 million.
His appeal to the Court of Appeal was dismissed on Dec 8, 2021.
Najib began his 12-year prison term on Aug 23, 2022, immediately after the Federal Court upheld the original conviction and sentence.
