Forget royal pardon,give up nobleman title & serve jail time...

Forget royal pardon,give up nobleman title & serve jail time....

It has been 22 days since Malaysia’s apex court upheld the conviction and incarceration of the nation’s disgraced former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak.Yet, Najib, who is currently serving his 12-year jail sentence in the Kajang Prison, continues to hog the limelight. Right after he was directed to jail, Najib filed for a royal pardon on Sept 2. Due to this, he remains as Pekan MP.

It is his right to do so, but to believe that a pardon would be granted almost immediately is downright ridiculous. While Article 42 of the Federal Constitution allows for the appeal of a pardon before the Pardons Board, a prisoner would have to serve one-third of his/her jail sentence before an application can be made.

As the Malaysian Bar pointed out in its statement yesterday, a full pardon so early on, would be perceived as premature since the former prime minister is still facing numerous charges of money laundering and criminal breach of trust. Simply put, giving Najib a pardon, at this juncture, would make a mockery of Malaysia’s judicial system and scare away potential investors. A wrong precedent must not be set. As such, any “demands” made to entertain Najib’s request for pardon are futile.

All eyes, in Malaysia and beyond, are on Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah, but the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, in his Sept 5 speech, eloquently addressed the issue by saying Islamic justice does not at all, give any privilege or exception to anyone who commits wrongdoing, be it oneself, close friends, family members, or parents. Al-Sultan Abdullah added that the power to punish and pardon should not be used arbitrarily because it will be held accountable in the “afterlife”.

Sultan of Selangor, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah Alhaj, conveyed his “solid support” to his fellow ruler brother’s decree, that the prerogative to pardon cannot be meted out arbitrarily for the sake of vested interests. “The public must understand that the pardon process must be done according to the law and procedures as provided under the Constitution and its relevant laws,” Sultan Sharafuddin said in his Sept 12 statement. That’s strike one...

In 2018, Najib was slapped with three counts of criminal breach of trust (CBT), one charge of abusing his position over SRC International Fund amounting to RM42 million, and three counts of money laundering, involving the funds. The High Court slapped him with a 12-year-jail term and a fine of RM210 million after finding him guilty of all seven charges.

Despite that, Najib had been going around giving speeches and attending events, complete with police escort – under the assumption that one is presumed innocent until proven otherwise. This may have created the illusion that he was still the “boss”.

But the signs were clear even before the Federal Court’s decision. In 2018, the ruler of Negeri Sembilan revoked titles conferred on Najib (awarded in 2005) and his wife Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor (2006). The other rulers clearly adopted a wait-and-see approach, perhaps still giving the former leader the benefit of the doubt.

But on Sept 12, Sultan Sharafuddin revoked titles from the state awarded to Najib and Rosmah. Both husband and wife still hold titles from several other states, including Perak, Melaka, Pahang, Kelantan, Sarawak, and Sabah.

For the record, Najib is also among Pahang’s Orang Besar Berempat (noblemen) and carries the title ‘Orang Kaya Indera Shahbandar’. It is only a matter of time before the said title is revoked, regardless of Najib’s family history with the Pahang royal household. Any dignified individual, who respects the title and the institution, would certainly surrender it, under such circumstances. That’s strike two...

Pahang’s Orang Besar Berempat

Najib must understand that even his beloved Umno can only do so much ahead of the upcoming general election. Certain party leaders may continue to harp on the supposed injustice in Najib’s case, but none have bothered to ask where is the rest of the money that had allegedly been misappropriated. They play the “political prisoner” card.

Ironically, he was charged with the criminal offences during Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s second stint in Putrajaya, was found guilty when Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin took over the top seat, and was sent to jail when Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob, who incidentally, is Umno vice-president, is in charge.

There are those within Umno who stress that Najib is history and that the party should move on. They should also question Najib’s membership in the party, if that too, should be revoked, as Clause 20.9(f) of the Umno constitution states that all members must love the party and preserve its good name and dignity.

Also, fighting the Najib cause will only widen the rift between ‘Umno Cabinet’ and ‘Umno party’, further disrupting Umno and Barisan Nasional’s campaign ahead of the upcoming General Election. That’s strike three...

Stress often serves as a backdrop to stomach ulcers and causes blood pressure to rise. While Najib should rightfully be accorded treatment just like any other prisoner, to expect anything above and beyond, is absurd.

Under Malaysia’s prison system, a prisoner is qualified for remission (one-third of his overall sentence), if the Prisons Department is satisfied with his rehabilitation while behind bars.

In short, if Najib accepts the sentence, abides by the law, and behaves, he will be allowed to head home earlier than scheduled. And perhaps, he may genuinely win a heart or two for completing his sentence quietly. - Haresh Deol 

PH awal² lagi dah tak nak PAS sebab pemimpin PAS hanya reti bab haid & nifas. Nak bagi air bersih kat Kelantan pun tak reti. Terengganu tu berbilion dapat duit royalti, tadika PASTI pun tak boleh bagi percuma.  TITM pegang alam sekitar, sikit² sebut kekangan bajet. Nak buat apa pun semua dia gagal, alasannya bajet tak de.  Last² pegi loji, cium air kumbahan.  

Dr Zawawi hat jaga makanan, harga makanan mana yg turun sekarang? Gigih dia menceraikan bini secara online. Yang nikah online tu langsung tak nampak hasil. Sapa nama ntah, lupa. Derih lagi teruk, pengkid pakai ihram pun sampai skrg tak jumpa.

Jadi, tak timbul pun soal PH mau PAS.  Percayalah, PAS cuma satu liabiliti kepada mana² pakatan politik.  Apa kepakaran yang pemimpin PAS ada? Kewangan? Perbankan?Keagamaan? Ekonomi? Perpaduan? Yillek pucci. UMNO pun tak mau PAS tapi PAS tak de lak kata macam² kat UMNO.  Padahal UMNO sekat royalti tu.  - Ariff Kadir Al-Katami

cheers.

Sumber asal: Forget royal pardon,give up nobleman title & serve jail time...