Lawyers for Liberty says Anwar must own responsibility for Najib’s conditional pardon
Lawyers for Liberty director Rania Aljunied says Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and his government must fully bear responsibility for the conditional pardon granted to former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak.
In a statement, Lawyers for Liberty director Rania Aljunied asserted that Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and his administration must accept full responsibility for the conditional pardon given to former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak. She noted that members of the Federal Territories Pardons Board are appointed on the government’s advice, and cited constitutional provisions that the Yang di-Pertuan Agong acts on the board’s recommendation, rendering the executive accountable.
Aljunied urged the board to meet again and provide new advice consistent with the rule of law. The king, Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar, granted Najib a conditional pardon allowing him to serve the remainder of his sentence under house arrest after paying a RM50 million fine. Anwar responded that the monarch’s discretion is absolute and the government’s role is limited to legal advice, reaffirming its anti-corruption stance.
PKR Youth chief Kamil Abdul Munim warned that the pardon does not erase the financial fallout of the 1MDB scandal, which still burdens Malaysia with over RM20 billion in liabilities. UMNO information chief Azalina Othman Said emphasized that the constitutional pardon power does not override court judgments.
Why it matters
The pardon of a former prime minister raises questions about executive accountability and the handling of Malaysia's massive 1MDB debt.
How the sides frame it
LOW AGREEMENTLeft-leaning coverage frames the story as a call for Prime Minister Anwar to accept responsibility for Najib’s conditional pardon, emphasizing constitutional accountability, while centrist coverage frames it as a political push for the opposition party to demand Umno’s removal from the cabinet as a demonstration of principle.
LEFT
Calls for Anwar’s government to take full responsibility for the conditional pardon, highlighting executive accountability and the rule of law.
CENTER
Frames the pardon as a political issue, urging the opposition to use it to force Umno out of the cabinet and prove a “red line.”
The left emphasises
- must accept full responsibility for the conditional pardon
- executive accountable under constitutional provisions
- provide new advice consistent with the rule of law
How this story developed
- Sep 18 Anwar says Najib's house-arrest pardon won’t soften anti-corruption stance
- Sep 18 The king authorized a change to Najib's imprisonment terms.
- Sep 18 Sultan Ibrahim granted a conditional pardon that places Najib under house arrest for the remainder of his term.
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