Najib solidarity fund raises RM165,645 in first hour, says Umno sec-gen

Umno's Najib Razak Solidarity Fund garnered RM165,645 in its inaugural hour, according to party secretary-general Datuk Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki. Asyraf thanked donors and encouraged party members and supporters to keep contributing to the fund. The fundraising campaign was initiated after Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi announced plans to collect donations to aid Najib in paying the RM50 million fine imposed by his conditional royal pardon.

The pardon was granted by His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia, enabling Najib to serve the remainder of his sentence under house arrest until August 23, 2028, contingent on the payment of the fine and adherence to the conditions set by the Pardons Board. Najib was convicted in 2020 for the SRC International corruption case, part of the 1MDB scandal, and commenced his sentence in August 2022 after the Federal Court overturned his final appeal.

His six-year term, down from a previous 12 years, and the RM210 million fine, reduced to RM50 million, were also granted following a Pardons Board review in early 2024. Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim affirmed that the pardon did not dilute the government's commitment to combatting corruption, emphasizing that existing corruption cases involving Najib must continue as per the law.