YOURSAY | After four long years, justice is at hand

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Najib supporters gather at Istana Negara, causing traffic jams

KUALA LUMPUR – Some 150 supporters of former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak have gathered at Gate 3 of Istana Negara here.

It is believed they are there to appeal to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong to issue a royal pardon for the former Umno president, who is now in prison serving a 12-year sentence after the Federal Court upheld his SRC International conviction yesterday.

Much to the chagrin of those in the area, the supporters have caused traffic congestion along much of Jalan Sri Hartamas 1 here.

It is understood that traffic is backed up all the way to the government offices near Jalan Duta.

One individual working in an office building near the palace told The Vibes that the group is “causing a lot of ruckus and traffic jams”.

He also lamented that “these people are advocating for a corrupt former prime minister to be set free”.

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Jail will be tough for ex-Malaysian leader Najib, who’s used to a 7-star hotel lifestyle, says Anwar

• Najib, who was charged for his role in the embezzlement of billions of dollars from the Malaysian sovereign wealth fund 1MDB, lost his appeal against his jail sentence on Monday.
  
• Malaysia’s highest court upheld his 12-year jail sentence and he began his sentence at Kajang Prison, south of the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur, on Tuesday.
  
• “Political leaders, political elites who continue to rort without [sic] impunity, they think that they’re invincible and above the law, [but] now, the message is very clear,” said Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim.
  

Prison will be a tough contrast to former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak’s seven-star hotel lifestyle as Malaysia begins to find “closure” from the scandal that had rocked the nation for years, said Malaysia’s opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim.

Najib, who was charged for his role in the embezzlement of billions of dollars from the Malaysian sovereign wealth fund 1MDB, lost his appeal against his jail sentence on Monday.

Malaysia’s highest court upheld his 12-year jail sentence, which began at Kajang Prison, south of the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur, on Tuesday.

“I think this is a good beginning. And it does reform and mature Malaysia as a vibrant democracy with strong institutions,” Anwar told CNBC’s “Squawk Box Asia” on Tuesday.

“Political leaders, political elites who continue to rort without [sic] impunity, they think that they’re invincible and above the law, [but] now, the message is very clear,” he said.

“Credit must be given to the ‘rakyat’ [the people], who decided, and therefore we have to continue.”

A rort refers to a fraudulent or dishonest act or scheme.

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QC Laidlaw to challenge decision disallowing him from representing Najib

PETALING JAYA: UK lawyer Jonathan Laidlaw has gone to the Federal Court to appeal against last month’s High Court decision disallowing his application to represent Najib Razak in the just concluded SRC International appeal.

Laidlaw filed his notice of appeal yesterday through his solicitor, Messrs Shafee & Co.

Attorney-general Idrus Harun, the prosecution in the SRC case, the Malaysian Bar and the Kuala Lumpur Bar Committee, who opposed Laidlaw’s application, have been notified.

Lawyer Bastian Pius Vendargon. who represented the Malaysian Bar, confirmed the new development when contacted.

It is unclear why Laidlaw wants to appeal when a five-member Federal Court bench chaired by Chief Justice Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat had already affirmed Najib’s conviction and sentence.

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Even from jail, Najib will remain a political kingmaker

KUALA LUMPUR: Najib Razak may be behind bars, but the former prime minister will loom large over the next battle for control in the nation’s Parliament.

Najib began serving a 12-year prison sentence on Tuesday, after the Federal Court upheld his 2020 conviction for his role in one of the world’s largest financial scandals.

While the decision bars Najib, 69, from running again and mounting a political comeback in upcoming elections, the disgraced former premier retains widespread popularity and deep influence in the ruling Umno.

Umno remains committed to holding elections as soon as possible to take advantage of a better-than-expected economy and fractured opposition, a senior ruling party official said on Wednesday.

Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob, who has pledged to hold elections at the “right time”, will have to maintain his alliance with Najib loyalists if he wants to keep his seat, said the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations.

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The story of Najib: A victory, a tragedy

Many are hailing the jailing of former prime minister Najib Razak for corruption as a victory for Malaysians. Some describe it as a victory for the judicial system while others attribute it to his karma.

But it’s also a tragedy of immense proportions; a tragedy that holds many lessons for Malaysians, in particular those in power.

On a personal level, it is a tragedy for Najib and his immediate family. On a national level too, it’s a tragedy.

Najib, scion of a respected family, started his 12-year jail term for corruption Tuesday evening after his last hope for an acquittal was quashed by a five-member Federal Court.

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Royal pardon is not an option at all for Najib

ALTHOUGH disgraced Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak has 14 days to file for Royal Pardon, this is not an option that would be accepted by the people.

It would certainly not look good for UMNO as a political party either as people link Najib to UMNO. Public opinion is that – whether UMNO leaders or otherwise – no one is above the law.

No one, with a sound mind, would agree that the former UMNO veteran and MP of Pekan be given a special treatment by the Agong.

Even when Najib appeared in the palace for a meal together with the Agong, public outcry was loud and clear. Here was a convict who was allowed to move freely in the royal palace, bringing disgrace to the good name of the monarchy.

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Kadir Jasin uses football analogy to “tackle” Najib’s “court tactics”

VETERAN newsman Datuk A Kadir Jasin has one piece of advice for those up in arms over Datuk Seri Najib Razak going to jail: think of it like a football match.

In a Facebook post today, Kadir said the former prime minister’s SRC International trial and subsequent appeals at the Court of Appeal and Federal Court could more or less be compared to three football games.

The first match was in the High Court with a judge as the “referee”. In that match, the public prosecutor was the “attacker” and “kicked” first with their evidence against Najib.

“The more kicks the better, more so if it is a fatal kick,” Kadir noted. “Then Najib’s team would defend.”

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Dr M bears some blame for Najib's corruption

MarioT: It is all because of you, Dr Mahathir Mohamed. Your twisted, radical and extreme policies of racialism have led to an influx of greedy and get-rich-quick schemers to amass great wealth when given the key to the vast reserves of the national treasury.

The free flow of easy money at their disposal became the national symbol of abject and undeterred corruption of even international fame.

I would assume you had known about it and the dire consequences the country is going to face if this uncontrolled plundering of the rakyat's money is allowed to persist.

Today, these corrupt practices in the government of a dominant Malay party, of which you were president in the past, have reached astronomical levels.

If those who are responsible for these crimes against the country are not charged and given the sentence besetting their crimes, then it is not long before we face economic and moral decay.

The 15th general election (GE15) will be the test of the rakyat's choice of either condoning these crimes in the name of race and religion or bringing about another change to save the country.

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Pardon for Najib would make a mockery of judiciary, says MP

PETALING JAYA: Getting jailed former prime minister Najib Razak a royal pardon would make a mockery of the judiciary, says Charles Santiago.

The Klang MP said as the country turns 65 in a few days, it was important that the rule of law was maintained.

“The one thing we can do for our country today, as we approach Merdeka Day is to ensure that no one is above the law and no one can hold this country to ransom,” he said in a statement.

He added that Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s call for Umno to start a petition drive for Najib’s royal pardon and to “weaponise” the latter’s Facebook posts was simply a matter of “playing to the gallery”.

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Netizens fume over filial Nooryana claiming Bossku’s jailing is based on “hearsay”

IT’S raining brickbats on Malaysiakini’s Facebook comment section as Nooryana Najwa Najib took to the social media to accuse the judicial authorities that her beloved father and ex-premier Datuk Seri Najib Razak was imprisoned on “hearsay”.

Top of her list was that the alleged mastermind and fugitive businessman Low Taek Jho a,k,a. Jho Low did not testify during the trial at the Kuala Lumpur High Court as he could not be located by the authorities.

She also decried that an unknown person who forged 20 bank transfer cheques was never found as well “but the person’s family took close to RM700 mil from (Jho) Low” and so did the lawyer who prepared the agreements and was purportedly paid money by Jho Low was never charged and did not testify as well.

“A High Court judge, the Appeals Court judges and certainly Federal Court justices DO NOT make judgments based on hearsay. Hearsay is the first thing we learn in Evidence Class in law school,” netizen Vernon Kedit gave Nooryana a law lecture.

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