Umno Supeme Council requests Agong to grant Najib full pardon
KUALA LUMPUR - Umno has requested for Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri'ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah to consider a full pardon for former premier Datuk Seri Najib Razak, who is currently serving a jail sentence.
Umno secretary general Dr Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki said the Umno Supreme Council (MKT) meeting earlier had taken note of the party's grassroot members' sentiments on the recent decision by the Federal Court, which dismissed Najib's application to review his conviction for misappropriating SRC International funds.
Apart from that, the party members also took into consideration the statement issued by Chief Judge of Sabah and Sarawak Datuk Abdul Rahman Sebli, who said Najib's then lawyer (Datuk Hisyam Teh Poh Teik) had been denied an opportunity to submit as the latter said he was unprepared to do so after taking on the case at the last minute, he added.
Asyraf said this was discussed at the MKT meeting held today at the WTC.
"We are humbly asking His Majesty to consider a full pardon for Najib as provisioned in Article 42 (1) of the Federal Constitution," he said in a statement.
Besides that, the MKT also received a memorandum from 191 divisions, including the Wanita and Youth wings.
They have requested for the party's top leadership to defend the former president and prime minister who has contributed immensely for the people and the country.
Hence, the MKT has unanimously agreed to present an appeal to His Majesty with a memo signed by the Umno leadership.
On March 31, a five-member bench led by Abdul Rahman Sebli ruled that the former prime minister was not denied the right to a fair trial, and therefore his application for leave to initiate the review should be rejected.
The other panellists on the bench were Federal Court judges Datuk Vernon Ong Lam Kiat, Datuk Rhodzariah Bujang, and Datuk Nordin Hassan, as well as Court of Appeal judge Datuk Abu Bakar Jais.
Najib would have been released on bail pending a re-hearing either at the apex court or a re-trial at the High Court if his application had been granted.
