Najib could make political comeback if granted full pardon - Legal experts

SHAH ALAM - Former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak could make a comeback to the political arena if he received a full pardon.

Lawyer Rajesh Nagarajan said a full pardon would not only erase all punishments for the offence an accused was convicted with, it also eliminate any disqualifications under the law.

In Najib's case, he said if the former was granted a full pardon, it would open the door for him to actively participate in the upcoming parliamentary elections.

However, Rajesh said Najib's other ongoing cases in court would remain unaffected, continuing their usual course even if a pardon was granted to him.

"Ongoing cases would not be affected and would continue as usual," he added.

Commenting further, another lawyer Datuk Akberdin Abdul Kader said the King held the authority to pardon any offender under the law, similar to the powers vested in Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

Akberdin said the decision on the ongoing cases was within the jurisdiction of the Attorney-General, leaving room for the legal process to unfold independently.

"The King's powers to pardon are significant and Najib could potentially become active again in politics, akin to the circumstances surrounding Anwar (when he received pardon in 2018 over his sodomy conviction)," he said when contacted.

Earlier, rumours circulated that the Pardons Board was expected to issue a statement over Najib's application for a royal pardon on his conviction for misappropriating RM42 million of funds belonging SRC International Sdb Bhd.

Najib, 71, began serving his 12-year jail term at the Kajang Prison on Aug 23, 2022 after the Federal Court upheld his conviction and sentence for misappropriating SRC RM42 million funds.

The five-man bench led by Chief Justice Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat unaimously made the decision after a day of drama which included an attempt by Najib's defence team to recuse her from hearing the appeal.

The former prime minister then filed an application for a review of the Federal Court ruling and the new panel of the Federal Court dismissed his request on March 31, last year.

Najib is currently facing trial at the Kuala Lumpur High Court over the 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) scandal.