Transport Minister Anthony Loke must honour his pledge to resign if former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak is released from prison to serve the remainder of his sentence under house arrest, says Umno president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
Zahid said Loke should step down immediately if Najib is released from Kajang Prison today, following the settlement of his RM50 million fine.
“I hope he will honour his promise. I believe this should not be treated as merely a political statement.
“He must do so immediately if Datuk Seri Najib is released today,” he told a press conference here on Friday.
Earlier, Umno confirmed that it had completed the payment process with the Kuala Lumpur High Court this morning, fulfilling the financial requirement for Najib to serve the remainder of his sentence under house arrest.
Umno secretary-general Datuk Dr Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki reportedly said the Najib Razak Solidarity Fund, launched on September 18 to assist the party’s former president, had raised enough money to meet its target.
On September 29, Loke revealed that he had submitted his resignation letter to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim but was asked to remain in the post temporarily.
On September 18, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Ibrahim granted Najib a conditional pardon allowing him to serve the remainder of his prison sentence under house arrest until August 23, 2028, provided he paid the RM50 million fine.
The Legal Affairs Division of the Prime Minister’s Department (BHEUU) said the decision was made following the consent of Sultan Ibrahim, who chaired the Federal Territories Pardons Board meeting.
BHEUU also said Najib must comply with all conditions imposed, warning that failure to meet any of them would automatically revoke the conditional pardon and require him to return to prison to complete his sentence.
Najib is currently serving a reduced six-year prison term at Kajang Prison after the Pardons Board halved his original 12-year sentence in February 2024. His initial RM210 million fine was also reduced to RM50 million.
He began serving his sentence on August 23, 2022, after the Federal Court upheld his conviction in the SRC International corruption case.
Najib was found guilty of seven charges involving abuse of power, criminal breach of trust and money laundering over RM42 million belonging to SRC International, a former subsidiary of 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB).
He was originally sentenced to 12 years in prison and fined RM210 million, becoming the first former Malaysian prime minister to be imprisoned following a criminal conviction.
