PUTRAJAYA: The unity government trusts in the Yang di-Pertuan Agong’s wisdom and the due process in Najib Razak’s application for a royal pardon, says transport minister Loke Siew Fook.
At a press conference here today, Loke also said Umno’s request for the King to consider granting the former prime minister a royal pardon was not the unity government’s stand but the party’s.
“Anyone who has been convicted is allowed to request for a royal pardon. That’s a normal and fair process,” he said.
Loke, who is also the DAP secretary-general, said the Cabinet had never discussed Najib’s application.
Last week, Umno secretary-general Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki confirmed that the party had asked the King to consider granting Najib a royal pardon.
Asyraf also said the Umno Supreme Council would seek an audience with the King to present a memorandum on the matter.
Najib is currently serving his 12-year prison sentence after he was convicted of criminal breach of trust, abuse of power and money laundering involving RM42 million belonging to SRC International.
His lawyer, Shafee Abdullah, said Najib would seek to use the dissenting judgment by Federal Court judge Abdul Rahman Sebli to support his application for a royal pardon.
Last week, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said he is part of the Pardons Board that will review Najib’s application for a royal pardon.
Loke also said the Cabinet had not discussed law and institutional reforms minister Azalina Othman Said’s letter to Najib’s solicitors where she confirmed that Justice Nazlan Ghazali had violated the Judges’ Code of Ethics and had a conflict of interest when presiding over the SRC International case.
