Najib Razak’s fundraising in Malaysia draws 1 sen donations, mockery
A fundraiser to help pay disgraced former leader Najib Razak’s 50 million ringgit (US$12.3 million) fine has become a lightning rod for insults and mockery, as Malaysians continue to pile criticism on a decision last week to allow him to spend the rest of his jail sentence under house arrest. King Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar last Friday granted Najib a “conditional pardon”, which will allow the…
A fundraising drive launched by Malaysia's disgraced ex-leader Najib Razak, to help cover his 50 million ringgit fine, has been mocked by Malaysians with small 1 sen donations. The drive, orchestrated by the ruling party Umno, aims to fulfill a condition of Najib's conditional pardon, allowing him to serve his jail term under house arrest.
The pardon, granted by King Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar last week, permits Najib to complete his 12-year sentence at home, provided he pays off the fine. Umno has raised over 1 million ringgit in donations thus far, but Malaysians have used the fundraiser as a platform to express their outrage at Najib's release. Social media screenshots of 1 sen donations, with sarcastic messages such as "Nation’s Father of Thievery," have gone viral, reflecting public discontent over Najib's continued freedom despite his corruption conviction.
Najib's daughter and wife have expressed gratitude for the support, with his wife mentioning contributions from overseas supporters. Analysts believe the successful transfer to house arrest could strengthen Umno's position, which has gained momentum following recent state election victories. However, Anwar Ibrahim's People’s Justice Party (PH) remains confident, as they have time to carry out institutional reforms before their term ends next year.
Written by urgent.news from South China Morning Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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