ANY proposals for Najib Razak to serve his remaining prison sentence under house arrest must be submitted to the Pardons Board, the Attorney General’s Chambers (AGC) said on Saturday.
The AGC emphasised that all pardon applications for offences committed in Kuala Lumpur, Labuan, and Putrajaya must follow proper legal procedures as outlined under the Federal Constitution, and any other channels.
“The AGC has been directed by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong to inform that all applications for clemency regarding offences committed in the Federal Territories of Kuala Lumpur, Labuan, and Putrajaya must be submitted to the Pardons Board chaired by the Agong through the procedures and channels established under the law, and not through any other means,” the AGC said in a press release.
It added that decisions made by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong on such matters, based on advice from the Pardons Board, are subject to legal provisions to ensure they remain valid and cannot be challenged in court.
The AGC issued the clarification following public discussions over Najib’s eligibility for a pardon or the possibility of serving his remaining sentence outside prison.
Najib, Malaysia’s former prime minister, is serving a 12-year prison sentence for corruption after being convicted in the SRC International case.
He recently lost his bid to compel the government to produce an addendum order reportedly issued by previous King, Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah, after the High Court ruled in July that affidavits supporting Najib’s claim were inadmissible as evidence because they were hearsay.
Najib, 71, is currently serving his sentence at Kajang prison in Selangor and has since appealed the decision.
The Court of Appeal is set to hear the former prime minister’s appeal on January 6.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has not confirmed or denied the existence of the purported addendum.