Azalina pushes questions on Najib’s pardon bid to Hannah Yeoh, says BHEUU is just the messenger

Former Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak's request for a royal pardon has faced delays, prompting questions from opposition leaders. Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said, the Minister in the Prime Minister's Department for Federal Territories, has clarified that inquiries regarding this matter should be directed to Hannah Yeoh, the Minister responsible for the Federal Territories Pardons Board.

Azalina emphasized that her role involves overseeing the administrative functions of the board within the Legal Affairs Division (BHEUU), but she is not the executive representative on the board itself. The BHEUU, housed within the Federal Territories Department, serves as the secretariat for the board in each state, with the minister and menteri besar of each state acting as executive representatives.

When asked about the deferral and the new date for Najib's pardon application, Azalina stated that she lacks information and cannot provide an answer. This clarification comes after PAS Secretary-General Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan urged the government to offer a timely explanation, arguing that the decision's public interest warranted immediate clarification.

The Federal Territories Pardons Board had previously agreed to postpone its review of Najib's petition until a subsequent meeting, chaired by His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, the King of Malaysia, at Istana Negara. During this meeting, 65 other inmates received royal pardons. Najib, currently serving a six-year sentence in connection with the RM42 million SRC International corruption case, had previously seen his sentence reduced to six years and fine lowered from RM210 million to RM50 million.

He is also serving an additional custodial sentence arising from his conviction in the 1MDB trial, which remains under appeal.