Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi says relations between the parties in the Unity Government remain good despite the conditional pardon granted to former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak.
Zahid, who is also UMNO president and Barisan Nasional chairman, said all parties continued to act professionally when handling government affairs, with Cabinet decisions made collectively.
“The relationship remains good. Although we are politicians, when it comes to managing government affairs, we act professionally,” he said during a press conference in Jakarta today.
His remarks came a day after the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Ibrahim granted Najib a conditional pardon, allowing him to serve the remainder of his reduced sentence under house arrest until Aug 23, 2028, subject to payment of a RM50 million fine.
Zahid also maintained that the Pardons Board’s decision, which received the King’s consent, was made within the framework of the Federal Constitution.
He said UMNO and BN’s position remained that the law must be respected, while stressing that the constitutional provisions governing the pardon should also be observed.
UMNO has welcomed the decision and launched a fundraising drive to help Najib settle the RM50 million fine.
However, the PH Presidential Council has stressed that no one is above the law and that anyone convicted of an offence must serve their sentence in accordance with the law and the Federal Constitution. It also reaffirmed its commitment to combating corruption and advancing the reform agenda.
Responding to PH’s statement, UMNO information chief Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said said the constitutional power to grant pardons should not be portrayed as placing anyone above the law.
She said the power of pardon is expressly provided for under Article 42 of the Federal Constitution, making it part of the country’s constitutional framework rather than a power exercised outside the law.
Najib’s conditional pardon and house arrest decision have prompted differing responses from the parties in the Unity Government, while Zahid maintained that relations between its component parties remain intact.
