[UPDATED] A-GC denies defying King's pardon, dismisses treason claims

The Attorney-General's Chambers (A-GC) has firmly denied defying the conditional pardon granted by the King to Datuk Seri Najib Razak, dismissing treason allegations by his lawyers as baseless. The A-GC reaffirmed it has not disputed, overturned, or intended to suspend the conditional pardon issued by His Majesty the King. The authorities maintained that seeking judicial clarification on the implementation of Najib's house arrest does not imply questioning the King's pardon power under Article 42 of the Federal Constitution.

They clarified that the royal prerogative of pardon and the court's authority to interpret the legal implications of an order are distinct matters. The A-GC stressed that ensuring a pardon's correct implementation and alignment with court orders is part of supporting the monarchy and the rule of law, not defying the King's decree.

The statement came after Najib's lawyers, Shafee & Co, accused the A-GC of executive overreach and disregarding the King's order, which they claimed amounted to contempt and possibly treason against the King. The lawyers questioned why the A-GC waited seven weeks after the September 18th pardon before raising concerns over its interpretation, suggesting they should have applied to the High Court for clarification instead of delaying Najib's transfer.

The dispute emerged after Najib fulfilled the pardon conditions by paying a RM50 million fine, allowing him to serve the remainder of his SRC International prison term under house arrest until August 23, 2028. However, the A-GC later proposed a temporary deferment, pending clarification of the High Court's discharge order and its impact on Najib's separate 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) prison sentence.