PETALING JAYA: The Malaysian Bar will seek a judicial review to challenge the Pardons Board’s decision to commute the sentence of former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak.
It is learnt that this was decided during the Malaysian Bar’s 78th annual general meeting on Saturday (March 16), where 238 members supported the motion, with one member objecting and seven others abstaining.
“Although the decision of the Pardons Board … is final and cannot be challenged in any court, the Malaysian Bar intends to test the case with the judicial review,” said the source.
Criminal defence lawyer KA Ramu from the Selangor Bar said the move was a way of displaying the Bar’s objection to the Pardons Board’s decision.
“It was a systematic act to obtain ill-gotten wealth. There were 13 judges who found him guilty … and he still has ongoing cases,” he told The Star.
It is learnt that the motion was proposed and seconded by former Malaysian Bar presidents Zainur Zakaria and Datuk Yeo Yang Poh respectively.
The Federal Territories Pardons Board had halved the former prime minister’s 12-year jail sentence over the SRC International corruption case to six years and reduced the RM210mil fine to RM50mil.
Najib, 70, has been serving jail time in Kajang Prison since Aug 23, 2022 for the misappropriation of funds in the RM42mil SRC International case.
Following the reduction of his sentence, he will be freed from prison on Aug 23, 2028.
He also faces multiple other charges for power abuse and money-laundering involving 1MDB funds.
Source Agencies
