Former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak has expressed surprise at the number of people who have contributed to a fund aimed at raising RM50 million to settle his fine, according to his daughter Nooryana Najwa.
Nooryana said her father expressed his gratitude during a family visit yesterday, following the decision allowing him to serve the remainder of his prison sentence under house arrest, subject to conditions including payment of the RM50 million fine.
“Daddy (father) really did not expect so many people to be willing to contribute. I would never force it on anyone,” she quoted Najib as saying in a Facebook post today.
She said Najib also stressed that he had never pressured anyone to contribute to the Datuk Seri Najib (DSN) Solidarity Fund.
Nooryana added that Najib has yet to return home, despite the conditional pardon allowing him to serve the remainder of his sentence under house arrest until Aug 23, 2028, subject to the stipulated conditions. The Prisons Department has yet to receive the official written notification needed to begin implementing the decision.
She said the family fully respected the decision and understood that the RM50 million fine must be paid before the house-arrest process can proceed.
“As previously explained by Datuk Seri Najib through his lawyers, if RM50 million is successfully raised through voluntary contributions to the DSN Solidarity Fund, all payment arrangements and subsequent processes will be handled through official channels,” she said.
Nooryana said she understood that the fine must first be paid to the court, after which the payment receipt would be submitted to the prison authorities.
“Only then can the prison authorities issue a ‘release order’ for the house-arrest process,” she said.
On Sept 18, Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Ibrahim granted Najib a conditional pardon allowing him to serve the remainder of his sentence under house arrest until Aug 23, 2028, subject to the payment of the RM50 million fine and other conditions.
However, Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said yesterday that the Prisons Department had yet to receive the official letter on the Pardons Board’s decision and would need to examine its contents before taking further action.
Nooryana also expressed appreciation for UMNO’s efforts in leading the DSN Solidarity Fund, saying her father had never wanted to burden the party or the public.
“Every contribution is entirely voluntary and based on each person’s ability. There is no pressure or obligation for anyone to contribute,” she said.
She also thanked those who had checked on her father’s condition and the family’s wellbeing, as well as those who had offered their prayers and support.
“Thank you once again for every prayer, contribution and kindness. It truly means more than you know,” she said.
