Officials depart as FT Pardons Board meeting concludes at Istana Negara

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 18 — Vehicles carrying Hannah Yeoh and Tan Sri Razarudin Husain departed Istana Negara around 9.40am, concluding the Federal Territories Pardons Board meeting. The high-profile attendees included Attorney-General Datuk Mohd Dusuki Mokhtar, a statutory board member. No official statement was released as of the time, according to Astro Awani.

Public speculation intensified that the board convened to deliberate on former Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak's royal pardon petition, which was deferred during the meeting on September 11. At that earlier session, Sultan Ibrahim, the board chair, granted pardons to 65 inmates while Najib's case was postponed for further review.

Najib, serving a six-year sentence and fined RM50 million, is currently incarcerated at Kajang Prison. In early 2024, the board reduced his prison term to three years and fine to RM50 million. Controversy arose after Najib and his legal team alleged a royal addendum allowing house arrest, dismissed by the High Court on December 22.

His appeal against the ruling was withdrawn in April. Speculation was further fueled when Yeoh denied endorsing a viral document claiming her support for Najib's house arrest.