- Malaysia’s Amnesty Commission has reduced former Prime Minister Najib Razak’s 12-year prison term to six years and fine to $11.3 million in connection with a corruption case.
- Despite his conviction, Mr. Najib remains influential in his party, UMNO, which is part of the current unity government.
- The decision was controversial and raised questions about its political influence.
The Malaysian Pardons Commission on Friday halved former Prime Minister Najib Razak’s 12-year prison sentence in a corruption case related to the theft of billions of dollars from the national treasury, and significantly reduced his fine for less than two years. Announced.
The board said in a statement that the reduced sentence would allow Najib to be released by August 23, 2028. The board also reduced Najib’s $44.5 million fine to $11.3 million.
It is unclear whether Prime Minister Najib will be eligible for additional leave for good behavior. If that happens, he could leave the club as early as August 2026.
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Despite his conviction, Najib remains influential in his party, the United Malays National Organization, which is currently part of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s unity government, which will come to power after the 2022 general elections. has become a member of
Former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak waves as he leaves the Kuala Lumpur High Court on November 11, 2019 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The Malaysian Amnesty Commission announced on February 2, 2024, that former Prime Minister Najib Razak’s prison sentence will be reduced to 12 years. His prison sentence was cut in half, and the fines imposed after his corruption conviction were also significantly reduced. (AP Photo/Vincent Tian, File)
The pardons committee did not explain why Najib’s sentence was commuted or why it waited until Friday to make the announcement. The board does not have to provide a rationale for its actions, but this has led to a backlash and calls for the government to justify the move.
The board announced at a meeting on Monday that it had considered Mr Najib’s application for a royal pardon and, after taking into account advice and comments, decided to reduce his sentence and fine. The meeting was chaired by then-King Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah, a native of Najib’s home state of Pahang. A new king was sworn in on Wednesday under Malaysia’s unique rotating monarchy.
The decision is seen as a further blow to Anwar’s anti-corruption campaign, just months after prosecutors dropped 47 charges against Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, the current leader of UMNO’s party.
Mr Anwar said Mr Najib had undergone the legal process and was entitled to seek a royal pardon. He said the final decision rested with the king.
“This is beyond the power of the prime minister or the government. I respect the decision of the king at the time. …Of course this is a very political thing and some people support it and some people don’t. But we can’t ignore the fact that we have to respect the rights of the people.”All of them were sentenced to appeal to the amnesty committee,” Anwar said in an interview with Al Jazeera.
He added that Najib still has other related court cases that will continue.
Mr Najib, 70, lost his appeal in the first of several corruption trials linked to the multibillion-dollar looting of state fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) and will be sentenced in August 2022. Imprisoned. He is Malaysia’s first former leader to be jailed after the 1MDB scandal caused the long-term ruling coalition to suffer a shock defeat in the 2018 general election.
1MDB was a development fund established by Najib shortly after he came to power in 2009. Investigators say at least $4.5 billion was stolen from the fund and laundered by associates of Mr. Najib through multiple bank accounts in the United States and other countries to finance Hollywood movies and luxury purchases. claims. It included hotels, luxury yachts, art, and jewelry. More than $700 million was deposited into Najib’s bank account.
Najib was found guilty in 2020 on seven corruption charges for illegally receiving $9.4 million from SRC International, a former unit of 1MDB. He still faces several other port trials related to 1MDB. His wife, Rosmah Mansour, is also on bail pending an appeal after being sentenced in 2022 to 10 years in prison and a record fine of 970 million ringgit for corruption related to solar energy projects.
Mr Najib has maintained his innocence, claiming he was duped by Malaysian financier Low Taek Jaw, who is believed to be the mastermind behind the scandal, but he remains at large.
On Friday, many Malaysians demanded to know the legitimacy of the amnesty committee’s move on such a high-profile graft case, where the government had to spend billions of dollars to repay 1MDB’s debt. .
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“The message to the world…is depressingly and darkly clear: Malaysia has two criminals to go after: one for all of us ordinary rakyat, and one for the political elite. A very sad day for this country,” lawyer and politician Lim Wei Jiet wrote on social media.
Some analysts said the rebound was likely to be muted. Anyone who insults the king can be charged with sedition.
“Mr Anwar’s reputation as a reformer will be tarnished. There will be some uprisings, but the impact will be limited. If they do, they will back down,” said Professor James Chin. He holds a PhD in Asian Studies from the University of Tasmania, Australia.
Najib’s daughter Nouriana Naziwa Najib wrote on Instagram that the family is grateful for the board’s response, but disappointed that Najib was not granted a full pardon and released sooner. I posted that there is.
