Agong: Disputing Najib's conditional pardon could amount to insubordination

Istana Negara has stated that any attempt to dispute the conditional royal pardon granted to former prime minister Najib Razak would amount to defying the orders of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Sultan Ibrahim. According to Istana Negara, the pardon granted on Sept 18 is clear, explicit, and unambiguous, and is unrelated to any other cases involving Najib.

The palace noted that the Pardons Board for the Federal Territories of Kuala Lumpur, Labuan, and Putrajaya reviewed Najib’s petition before advising the King, and the meeting included the attorney general and the minister of federal territories.

The conditional pardon allows Najib to serve the remainder of his prison sentence under house arrest, subject to the payment of a RM50 million fine. Istana Negara declared that all conditions imposed under the pardon have been fulfilled and that there is no basis for further dispute regarding its implementation. Malaysiakini and The Vibes both report that the King warned that challenging the implementation of the house arrest order is tantamount to defying his decree.

Opposition leader Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin warned the government against selectively respecting royal orders, stating that upholding the monarchy is a constitutional responsibility rather than a political choice. He said the government and all parties are obliged to implement lawful royal decrees, including those concerning pardons and sentence reductions under Article 42 of the Federal Constitution.

Hamzah added that any attempt to undermine a lawful decree would constitute a serious act of defiance against the King and the country.

Brief written by urgent.news from Malaysiakini, New Straits Times, Free Malaysia Today, The Vibes — 4 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.