ELECTIONS are not a channel to free any individual who is serving a sentence, stressed UMNO Information Chief, Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said.
Azalina, who is also the Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Law and Institutional Reform), said there is no law that states that elections can be used to free certain individuals.
On the other hand, the power to pardon any individual lies under the jurisdiction of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.
"There is no law that states that an election can free anyone. Granting a pardon is the power of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong. It has nothing to do with politics," she said.
She said this in response to claims by several parties in the Johor State Election (PRN) campaign that a Barisan Nasional (BN) victory could lead to the release of former Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.
Azalina, commenting on the Johor PRN, said that the BN machinery was actively campaigning in an orderly and structured manner by focusing on the people's priorities and local issues in the state.
"BN is a long-standing political party, and the way we campaign focuses a lot on the priorities of the people in the state.
"We have a foster family system programme from the states which also provides improvements in terms of campaigning on local issues," she said.
The 16th Johor state election sees 172 candidates vying for 56 state seats, with voting for 2.7 million voters set for this Saturday. – July 7, 2026
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