Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said he agreed to bring former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak’s pardon application before the Pardons Board in 2023 to ensure no prisoner was denied the constitutional right to seek clemency.
Anwar said he did not want to be accused of preventing anyone from exercising their right to appeal to the King through the Pardons Board, as provided for under the Federal Constitution.
“As the leader of the nation, the Prime Minister, I could not bear to be seen as victimising anyone under our Constitution. Every prisoner has the right to submit an appeal to the King for consideration.
“If I had not allowed it, I would have denied him his right. What right? The right to be considered by the Pardons Board under His Majesty the King. That is why I took that action,” he said.
The Pakatan Harapan (PH) chairman was speaking at the Pesta Melaka Rumah Kita event at Taman Perdana Melaka yesterday.
He stressed that the process was not reserved for Najib, saying all prisoners were allowed to submit pardon applications for consideration.
“Anyone who makes an appeal, we allow them all. If they have a medical letter, a letter from the Prisons Department, and a letter for good behaviour, all of them are submitted,” he said.
On Najib’s house arrest order, Anwar said he had previously expressed concern that the public might not be ready to accept such a decision, particularly as the government was working to combat corruption and did not want anything to undermine those efforts.
However, he emphasised that the decision to grant Najib house arrest was made based on the King’s compassion and consent after considering all relevant factors, adding that the government respected and complied with the decision.
Anwar also clarified that the Attorney-General’s move to seek court confirmation on the house arrest issue was part of the required legal process and should not be interpreted as an attempt to defy a royal decree.
He urged young people not to let the debate overshadow the need to reject corruption and abuse of power, while remaining committed to safeguarding the welfare of the people, especially those from lower-income groups.
