Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim on Tuesday skirted questions on a royal decree that could allow jailed former premier Najib Razak to serve his remaining prison sentence at home.
Najib, who was Prime Minister between 2009 and 2018, was sentenced to 12 years in prison in August 2022.
At that time, Malaysia‘s top court had upheld his conviction in a corruption case linked to the multi-billion dollar scandal at state fund 1MDB.
This year, a pardons’ board chaired by former King Al-Sultan Abdullah, halved the sentence.
The board did so shortly before King Al-Sultan Abdullah’s reign came to an end in January.
Malaysia has a unique system of monarchy where the country’s nine sultans take turns to become king every five years.
Since April, Najib has been pursuing a legal bid to compel the government to confirm the existence of an “addendum order” and to execute it.
Najib said that the order issued by the former king alongside the pardons’ board decision, entitles him to serve his remaining jail term at home.
The former monarch has not commented on the case.
Anwar said in Parliament on Tuesday that he was unable to answer questions from lawmakers on the document.
He cites parliamentary rules on sub judice matters.
He admitted presenting Najib’s request for a pardon to the king, saying the ex-premier had a right to be heard.
Anwar emphasized that he was not present when the federal pardons board made its decision to halve Najib’s sentence.
The King and the Prime Minister sit on the board, although the premier can be represented instead by a federal territories minister.
“Until this case is concluded in court or the king allows for it, we cannot discuss (it),” Anwar said.
He added that he had referred the matter to the current king, Sultan Ibrahim, for further deliberation.
Malaysia’s Court of Appeal is set to hear Najib’s request on January 6 next year, after an earlier bid was struck down by a lower tribunal in July.
Last week, Najib’s son filed an affidavit in court, affirming that he had received a copy of the addendum from Al-Sultan Abdullah’s royal household.
His lawyers however declined to disclose the contents of the document.
(With inputs from Reuters)
