PETALING JAYA: Anwar Ibrahim has dismissed criticism levelled against him regarding Najib Razak’s pardon appeal, saying he cannot be vengeful in his position as the prime minister.
While admitting that he was vocal about the 1MDB scandal in the past, Anwar stressed that every prisoner has the right to appeal for a pardon.
“There are parties who are livid because I brought Najib’s (appeal) case to be considered by the Federal Territories Pardons Board chaired by the (former) Yang di-Pertuan Agong.
“I was sent to prison for the first time under Dr Mahathir (Mohamad) and for the second time under Najib.
“But now I’m the prime minister, I cannot be vengeful. It’s the right of every prisoner to file an appeal,” he said at an event at Universiti Teknologi Mara here today.
Anwar said that when Najib’s appeal was not listed at a FTPB meeting, he brought it to the king to have the matter considered.
On Feb 2, the FTPB announced that Najib’s prison sentence in his SRC International case had been halved from 12 years to six, and his fine reduced from RM210 million to RM50 million.
Najib is currently serving his jail sentence at Kajang prison.
The Court of Appeal will on Jan 6 hear Najib’s application for leave to adduce fresh evidence in his appeal to serve the remainder of his jail term under house arrest, which he claims was issued in a supplementary decree to the Feb 2 announcement.
Najib previously said the FTPB had omitted to announce the terms of the supplementary decree and that the government was in contempt for not complying with it.
He wants the court to compel the government to execute the supplementary decree, if it exists, by placing him under house arrest.
