The Malaysian Insight

JAILED former prime minister Najib Razak’s supporters are demanding Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob intervene to free him from prison, while urging Umno to drop out of the government if Ismail refuses.

“We request Ismail intervene and we request a royal pardon for Najib (by the end of) this week.

“Otherwise, we want Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi to withdraw support for the current government and push for parliament to be dissolved immediately,” Pertubuhan Jalinan Perpaduan Negara Malaysia president Syed Mohammad Imran Syed Abdul Aziz said.

He was met by reporters outside after submitting a three-page memorandum to Istana Negara’s press relations officer Mohd Husni Yusop.

Syed Mohammad today led more than 300 supporters to the royal palace in Kuala Lumpur at 2pm.

He and two associates were then allowed in to present the memorandum to a palace representative, who accepted on behalf of the king.

“We are asking the Umno president to leave and withdraw support so that there is a dissolution of parliament, if no action is taken.

“We trust the prime minister, but if this does not happen, we will consider this government to be cruel,” he said.

Syed Mohammad said he regrets the Barisan Nasional (BN) government persecuting Najib, who he said has done so many good things for the country.

“If today Zahid does not insist, or the prime minister does not do something, I will exit the party.”

Syed Mohammad also said he was disappointed that no Umno leader joined him today, even though the party has 192 divisions across the country.

The Federal Court last week rejected Najib’s application to present new evidence regarding the allegations of conflict of interest on the part of then High Court judge Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali, which was ruled irrelevant to his appeal.

Yesterday a five-judge Federal Court panel led by Chief Justice Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat upheld Najib’s conviction and sentence of 12 years in prison and a fine of RM210 million in the SRC International case.

Najib was then taken to Kajang Prison. He also required to pay the fine, in lieu of a further five years in prison.

Najib faces multiple further corruption trials for misappropriation of billions of ringgit in state funds. – August 24, 2022.