KUALA LUMPUR – An online petition urging the Yang di-Pertuan Agong not to pardon Datuk Seri Najib Razak for his SRC International corruption conviction has obtained more than 121,000 signatures, while a counter-petition appealing for a royal pardon for the jailed former prime minister has only garnered over 32,000.
The petition against a royal pardon for Najib by the Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections (Bersih 2.0) had collected 121,738 signatures as at press time, since it was initiated two weeks ago following the Pekan MP’s imprisonment after the Federal Court on August 23 upheld his 12-year jail sentence in the SRC International case.
In the petition to Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah, Bersih 2.0 said a royal pardon should not be granted to Najib as he had committed a crime against the Malaysian public in his official capacity as prime minister and must serve his sentence to the fullest extent.
“Even if Najib has no shame for what he has done, we the rakyat have to live with the indignity of being known for the world’s largest case of kleptocracy.
“With all our hearts we appeal to Your Majesty to consider our request to deny any appeal for a pardon by Najib, who has brought shame to this country,” said the petition.
In contrast, the petition by Selangor Barisan Nasional Communications (BNComms), which was also launched soon after the Federal Court’s verdict, had only received 32,134 signatures as of this afternoon.
In its petition, Selangor BNComms said the apex court had been “selective”, and that “hidden hands” had controlled Najib’s case at the trial stage in the high court.
It also praised Najib for his economic policies which it said had brought Malaysia prosperity.
Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Azhar Azizan Harun two days ago said a formal petition seeking a pardon for Najib was filed on September 2, and as such his status as Pekan MP remains intact until the pardon is rejected.
Najib’s conviction over RM42 million of SRC International funds that went to his accounts was upheld twice, by the Court of Appeal last year before the Federal Court’s decision last month.
In addition to the 12-year jail sentence, the apex court also upheld the RM210 million fine. – The Vibes, September 7, 2022
