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It’s about public interest, responsibility and accountability
KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 1, 2024: Two days after the Federal Territories Pardons Board met, there is still no official word whether the disgraced and shameless former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak will be freed.
If everything is above board, and there is no sinister political conspiracy to free the felon, why then is it so difficult to announce the board’s decision.
What’s there to hide in a highly public interest matter?
And, a constitutional lawyer, Bastian Pius Vendargon was reported to have said there was no law compelling the board to make its decisions public.
No News Is Bad News opines that the matter is not about what is legal or not. It is about public interest, responsibility and accountability. And morality.
Why let all sorts of unhealthy media speculations ferment in public?
After all, Najib’s case is not about stealing a can of sardines ,tuna or milk powder from a supermarket.
The jailbird’s mishandling and mismanagement of the so-called Sovereign Wealth Fund (SWF), 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), cost the rakyat dan negara (people and country) billions of ringgit in losses, contributing significantly to the country’s RM1.5 trillion national debt economy.
As a result, the rakyat dan negara are struggling financially to keep afloat to put food on the table daily for their loved ones, amid rising costs of living.
And Najib has failed, thus far, to show any remorse for the multi-billion-ringgit 1MDB losses
How then can you expect Malaysians to forgive Najib, the national thief, just like that without even having to return all his ill-gotten gains to the national coffer.
And his billionaire wife, Rosmah Mansor, is also appealing against a jail sentence.
Depending on the outcome of the board’s decision, it is set to have grave political consequences if the national thief is freed. And what about the integrity of the Government’s fight agaoinst corruption?
No News Is Bad News reproduces below a news report on the board’s moral obligation to the rakyat dan negara:
Pardons Board not legally compelled to make decision public, says lawyer
Bastian Pius Vendargon however says that the board has a moral obligation to do so.
Naveen Prabu - 01 Feb 2024, 11:00am
The Pardons Board should make public its decision on Najib Razak’s pardon application as the case is one of public interest, says lawyer Bastian Pius Vendargon.
PETALING JAYA: A constitutional lawyer says there is no law compelling the Federal Territories Pardons Board (FTPB) to make its decisions public, amid speculation that former prime minister Najib Razak will be granted a pardon for his corruption conviction.
However, Bastian Pius Vendargon said the board had a moral responsibility to do so.
He said it was crucial for FTPB to provide “well-founded and transparent reasons” for its decision, as it was a widely known and significant case.
“This is no ordinary case involving someone who committed murder and then is pardoned after 20 years.
“This is a public interest case and it involves public funds. Some of the money has been found in the US and elsewhere. So, this has caused a lot of public interest. There should be a proper explanation,” he told FMT.
Lawyer Charles Hector said although there were no legal requirements for the FTPB to announce its decisions publicly, transparency and accountability were important in a democratic system.
“The people demand it. They do not want ‘secrets’ as such conduct raises doubts. Why be afraid to be transparent and honest with the people?” he said.
He also recommended that all of FTPB’s decisions be made public and accompanied by concise explanations.
“It should be on the FTPB’s website. As pardons can be applied for by others, those who have applied should also get an answer.”
Meanwhile, another lawyer, Kitson Foong said the FTPB had the authority to withhold information from the public, particularly in cases where privacy concerns, such as an individual’s health issues, come into play.
“If a King forgives you, he forgives you. Just like the good old days of fairy tales. Whereas the court of public opinion is another story.
“But we are not ruled by the court of public opinion. We are ruled by the court of law and by the constitution.”
Rumours of Najib being granted a pardon have been swirling following reports that the FTPB met at Istana Negara on Monday.
The following day, federal territories minister Dr Zaliha Mustafa, who sits on the board, confirmed that the meeting took place, but did not disclose if Najib’s application was discussed. She said a statement from the board was forthcoming.
The same day, Utusan Malaysia quoted sources as saying that Najib had been granted a royal pardon, but later retracted its report and issued an apology. - FMT
Hopefully this week, Zaliha says on Najib’s pardon decision
Rumours of the ex-PM being granted a pardon have swirled following reports that the Federal Territories Pardons Board met at Istana Negara on Monday.
Elill Easwaran - 01 Feb 2024, 9:25am
Federal territories minister Dr Zaliha Mustafa is ‘hopeful’ that the status of Najib Razak’s pardon application will be revealed this week.
PUTRAJAYA: Federal territories minister Dr Zaliha Mustafa has expressed hope that the status of former prime minister Najib Razak’s application for a royal pardon will be revealed this week.
“God willing, it will be announced this week,” she told reporters after an event here today.
“Be patient. We will wait for the statement from the board.”
Rumours of Najib being granted a pardon have been swirling following reports that the Federal Territories Pardons Board met at Istana Negara on Monday.
Zaliha, who sits on the board, previously confirmed that the meeting took place but did not diclose if Najib’s application was discussed.
At a press conference yesterday, home minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail acknowledged that the Cabinet had been informed of Najib’s application for a royal pardon.
However, he declined to give details of the information brought to the government’s attention.
“We discussed the matter briefly but since it falls within the jurisdiction of the board, it is the board that must answer,” Saifuddin said.
Najib began his 12-year prison term on Aug 23, 2022, following the Federal Court’s dismissal of his final appeal in the SRC International case.
His lawyer, Shafee Abdullah, previously said a pardon application was first submitted in September 2022, and that addendums to the petition were filed in October that year and in April 2023. - FMT
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