Mohamad Sabu offers entire ministerial salary to push for fair house arrest law

JASIN – Agriculture and Food Security Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu is prepared to donate his entire monthly ministerial salary of RM11,900 to support efforts to establish a fair and transparent house arrest mechanism applicable to all prisoners.

The Kota Raja MP said the contribution would continue until the dissolution of Parliament for the current term, with the funds channelled to non-governmental organisations (NGOs) working alongside legal practitioners and civil society to push for the proposed legal framework.

He said the initiative aimed to establish a mechanism allowing prisoners to serve half of their sentences behind bars and the remaining half under house arrest.

"Guided firmly by the principles of the Rukun Negara, particularly loyalty to the King and country, the supremacy of the Constitution and the rule of law.

"I wish to stress that justice in this country must be upheld equally, regardless of a person's position, rank, political influence or background," he said at a special press conference in Merlimau today.

Mohamad stressed that the proposal was not intended to grant special treatment to any individual, but to ensure that equality before the law applied to everyone, regardless of their status or background.

He said the mechanism should be established through a specific Act or clear legal provisions to ensure all prisoners could qualify for the same facility under fair and transparent regulations.

"I have no personal problems or disputes with Datuk Seri Najib Razak or his family members.

"I do not want this to happen to anyone. Let this struggle continue until there is an Act stating that a person serves three years in prison and the remainder under house arrest," he said.

Mohamad said he was leaving it to legal practitioners, including the Malaysian Bar, the Syariah Lawyers Association and relevant NGOs, to examine the most appropriate way to implement the proposal.

He added that he had yet to meet any NGOs on the matter, describing the press conference as an initial call to mobilise support for the initiative.

The proposal comes amid developments involving Najib, who was granted a conditional pardon in September, allowing him to serve the remainder of his prison sentence in the SRC International case under house arrest.

On Nov 10, the Kuala Lumpur High Court ruled that the former prime minister could serve the remainder of his sentence at his Langgak Duta residence, with immediate effect.