The power to grant pardons rests solely with the Yang di-Pertuan Agong as provided for under the Federal Constitution, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Federal Territories) Hannah Yeoh said.
NOT TRUE - as the King's Pardon Power is subject to the advice of the Pardons Board. Thus, ONLY if the Pardons Board decides (uncertain whether simple majority or two third majority or unanimous decision). Thus, PARDON BOARD decide and advice the KING, and the King acts as advised by the Pardons Board.
Hannah Yeoh is a member of the Pardons Board - thus, she has a say as to whether the King will pardon Najib fully and he be FREE or pardon Najib to just reduce his prison term. So, how will Hannah Yeoh DECIDE is material. Is her decision her OWN or must she follow the decision of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and/or the Cabinet?
What about the other member of the Pardons Board - the Attorney General > will his decision be the decision of PM Anwar Ibrahim and/or the Cabinet - the government of the day > or will he have an INDEPENDENT decision - if so, based on what principles?? - repentance and good behavior?
Hannah Yeoh is WRONG - as King has NO absolute discretion > it must be based on the ADVICE of the Pardons Board > Hannah Yeoh, AG and the 3 other members of the Pardon Board - WHAT THEY DECIDE AND ADVICE THE KING IS CRUCIAL HERE.
Many are OPPOSED to the idea of FULL PARDON for Najib > or even the idea of house arrest > so what will MINISTER Hannah Yeoh be?
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PARDON POWERS of the KING - is a matter of concern and needed CLARIFICATION, which would be brought in through a Federal Law.
The Federal Constitution provides for the enactment of a Federal Law that will will govern Pardon in Federal Territories - but we still do not have this Act yet
Art 42 Federal Constitution - Power of pardon, etc.
(3) ...For the purpose of this Clause the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur, the Federal Territory of Labuan and the Federal Territory of Putrajaya, shall each be regarded as a State.
(4) The powers mentioned in this Article—
(a) are, so far as they are exercisable by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, among functions with respect to which federal law may make provision under Clause (3) of Article 40;
PARDON POWERS - some QUESTIONS remain
- when can Pardon Powers be exerciseable? As soon as the final appeal is exhausted ... or should it be after the convicted has served one third of his sentence at least - prison sentence?
- It is 'PARDON' - so, is there a need for repentance first before Pardon powers is exerciseable as a general rule? Is Najib repentant for the CRIMES he committed?
- Should the victim ALSO have a right to be heard by the Pardons Board and King? Let's say a RAPE VICTIM > should the victim have the RIGHT to be heard before the Pardon Board decides on a Pardon Application?
- COMPOSITION OF THE PARDON BOARD - Now, we have the Attorney General, Minister in charge or Federal Territories and THREE(3) other members of the Pardon Board - how are these 3 selected, what are the selection criteria - Does the Prime Minister decide on the 3 members, or does the KING only have the right to decide of the 3 other members of the Pardon Board?
- The Attorney General - well he is NOW picked by the Prime Minister, who also has the power to remove a AG/Public Prosecutor at any time > No Security of Tenure - thus the INDEPENDENCE of the Attorney General is in question - does he do as the PM wishes? OR....??
- The Minister too is a member of the Cabinet, and again it is the Prime Minister that picks his member of Cabinet, and decide who is Minister responsible for the Federal Territories > so does the MINISTER do as what the Prime Minister wants - or do the Minister do as what the Malaysian people does?
- Recently, in the High Court case concerning Najib's House Arrest - it became clear that the KING must act based on the decision/advise of the Pardon's Board...so the King has no power to decide whatever he wants with regard to Pardon powers...
- We know that PARDON POWERS cannot overturn a CRIMINAL CONVICTION by Court - so, guilt or innocence MAY not be consideration for the exercise of Pardon Powers generally... so, what are consideration - good behaviour, genuine repentance, etc.. this is something that need to be settled by LAW -
- IS the exercise of pardon dependent on who HOLDS Executive POWER. When PH came into power after GE14 - Anwar Ibrahim got a ROYAL PARDON, and in 2022, after BN decided to join PH, Najib got the benefit of the King's pardon...
- There is little PUBLIC news about KING's Pardon - how many have received the benefit of Royal Pardon, how many failed to get ROYAL Pardon - Good for Malaysians to KNOW - so make PUBLIC the full record of Royal Pardons - the number of application, the number of successful applications, the number of unsuccessful pardons - sadly almost no MEDIA reports ...and has any MP/Senator/ADUN asked about these PARDON POWERS? WHY NOT?
- Anwar's Pardon application came up fast, and so too Najib's - Was there QUEUE JUMPING? Could the government of the day or Prime Minister expedite certain people's Pardon Application?
Anwar also admitted submitting Najib's application for a royal pardon to the board for discussion, though he denied doing so under pressure from UMNO. "I said as soon as I receive any appeal, I requested that the pardons board discuss it," he said. (Reuters,February 5, 2024)
THUS, if you wanted the FT Pardon Board and KING to consider you petition for Pardon, should the application be DIRECTED to the Prime Minister? Minister in charge of FT, Hannah Yeoh, should satisfy people's doubt - how many Pardon applications have been dealt with by the FT Pardons Board and King since you became Minister, or since Anwar Ibrahim became Prime Minister?
Sec 377(for which Anwar was convicted) was declared UNCONSTITUTIONAL by Indian Supreme Court(see judgment) - Time for Malaysia to REPEAL 377B - but RETAIN 'Non-Consensual' SODOMY(s. 377C), which is akin to RAPE as a crime?
NOW, for me, the worst crimes are CRIMES committed by the Prime Minister, Ministers and members of the Cabinet and their political secretaries, and other political appointees > as this directly is a SERIOUS breach of trust of the people. They are given the TRUST to govern and manage Malaysian people's monies - and then they ABUSE these powers for personal benefit and enrichment... Hannah Yeoh: King has sole power to grant pardons
KUALA LUMPUR: The power to grant pardons rests solely with the Yang di-Pertuan Agong as provided for under the Federal Constitution, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Federal Territories) Hannah Yeoh said.
She said any further clarification on the matter had already been detailed in a media statement released by the Legal Affairs Division of the Prime Minister's Department.
"I have no authority to discuss or issue statements on behalf of the Pardons Board.
"I can only state that I was present (at the meeting) together with the Attorney-General. That is all," she told reporters when met today at the launch of Fiesta Pasar Malam.
When asked when the Pardons Board would convene its next meeting, Yeoh said members of the board would be notified accordingly.
"We will be informed. When the meeting is convened, that is all I can answer.
"The absolute power to grant pardons belongs to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, so we have to wait," she said. - NST., 12/9/2026
Judge: Najib’s lack of remorse, role in siphoning 1MDB money were factors when deciding his jail, RM13b sentence
KUALA LUMPUR, June 16 — How did the High Court decide on how many years to imprison and how much to fine former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak in the RM2.2 billion 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) trial?
Trial judge Datuk Collin Lawrence Sequerah, who is now a Federal Court judge, today released his 809-page judgment that listed in detail why he had found Najib guilty of all 25 charges in the case.
Ultimately, Najib was ordered in the 1MDB trial to serve 15 years’ of jail time simultaneously; and was fined RM11.38 billion for power abuse, and fined a separate RM2.08 billion for money laundering.
Among other things, the judge said preventing crime would be an more important factor than Najib’s public service, and also said Najib had not shown remorse for his crimes.
Here’s Malay Mail’s quick summary of what the 1MDB trial judge considered when deciding on Najib’s sentence on December 26, 2025, based on the 809-page written decision:
The judge said “public interest” is the most important factor in deciding on the sentence, which includes deterring or discouraging others from committing crime, and also discouraging convicted offenders from doing crime again.
One key theme is the need for deterrence: “This is basically, the sending of a message out from the court that if you are prepared to do the crime, then be also prepared to pay the price for it by spending the time in prison.”
What factors did the judge consider?
1. The crime’s serious implications to society
Judge said 1MDB, which was founded in 2009 to promote Malaysia’s economic growth, instead became the “centre of one of the largest financial corruption and money laundering scandals in modern history”.
“The repercussions and consequences arising from the fallout of the scandal is still ongoing and there are current financial obligations that still need to be fulfilled. This will impact future generations of Malaysians as well,” the judge said, referring to the prime minister’s December 2, 2025 parliamentary remarks that around RM13 billion of 1MDB debt remains outstanding.
2. 1MDB financial scandal’s damage to Malaysia’s reputation
The judge said the complex web of financial transactions in the 1MDB case resulted in “colossal” financial losses, and “severe and enduring financial consequences” for Malaysia.
“It was described internationally as being ‘kleptocracy at its worst’, an unwanted blemish on the record of our beloved country’s otherwise sterling reputation on the world stage,” the judge said.
3. Najib’s abuse and betrayal of the trust given to him in his ‘exalted positions’
“At the heart of this scandal, stood not a humble employee of an organisation who saw an opportunity to exploit a flaw in the system, but a man exalted and who held the highest reins of power,” the judge said, referring to Najib.
The judge said Najib had simultaneously held three positions (prime minister, finance minister, 1MDB board of advisers’ chairman), used and exploited those positions to act and influence the 1MDB board “to carry out certain abnormal transactions with unholy haste”.
4. Najib’s previous conviction in the RM42 million SRC case, which involves a similar offence to that in the 1MDB trial
5. Najib’s nearly 47 years of public service and previous service as prime minister
But does Najib’s record of public service and contribution to the nation outweigh his breach of the trust given to him?
The judge said no, and stressed the more important need to discourage people from doing crime:
”After taking into account all these factors including the magnitude of the crime both in terms of the colossal sums involved and magnitude and scale of the repercussions from the scandal, including the ongoing financial obligations of the nation for the present and future generations, this court is of the view that a deterrent sentence is called for and this therefore outweighs the public service record and contribution to the service of the nation by the accused.”
6. Najib’s blaming of others for 1MDB scandal, lack of remorse
“This court has also to rightfully consider that the accused has not exhibited or displayed any remorse for the offences committed, having chosen instead to attach the blame for this scandal to others including the management of 1MDB.”
The judge instead said evidence in court clearly showed that Najib had orchestrated the siphoning of money from 1MDB through his proxy Low Taek Jho’s deception, and had worked “hand in hand” with and through Low to make a complex web of transactions which resulted in 1MDB funds eventually reaching Najib’s private bank account.
Before the judge decided on Najib’s sentence, his legal team had tried to argue that Najib did show remorse through his son’s public reading of his apology letter on October 24, 2024.
7. Najib’s actions to cover up crimes when the 1MDB financial scandal first became public
The judge said Najib’s actions included disbanding a task force looking into the 1MDB scandal, and attempt to persuade Bank Negara Malaysia’s governor at the time to issue a statement to clear him of all wrongdoing.
After listing all these factors, the judge then decided on Najib’s jail sentence and fine in the 1MDB case.
What we know about Najib’s status now (SRC and 1MDB)
Najib is currently serving his reduced six-year jail term from the SRC case, with his imprisonment due to be completed in August 2028 or August 2029 (depending on whether he pays the RM50 million fine there).
Najib’s SRC jail term can end earlier if he shows good behaviour as a prisoner and his jail time is reduced by one-third.
The 1MDB trial judge has ordered that Najib immediately start serving his 15-year jail term, after his SRC jail time ends.
Najib has filed an appeal against his conviction and sentence in the 1MDB case, but has not applied for a stay or pause on his 1MDB sentence.
No hearing date has been fixed for Najib’s 1MDB appeal, as it is still in the preliminary stages. The appeal is scheduled for case management on June 19 at the Court of Appeal. - Malay Mail, 17/6/2026
Key events in Datuk Seri Najib Razak's RM2.2b 1MDB trial
Bersih: Najib must remain behind bars
KUALA LUMPUR: Former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak must serve the rest of his sentence in prison, Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections (Bersih) executive director Asraf Sharafi said.
Representing 47 civil society and youth groups, Asraf said Najib "must serve the rest of his sentence in prison."
"Why is his case being prioritised when many ordinary prisoners are still waiting for a chance to seek pardons?
"Najib has already received a sentence reduction in February 2024 from 12 years to six years, and his fine was cut from RM210 million to RM50 million," he told reporters at the Bersih office in Petaling Jaya today.
Asraf remarks come after Umno president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said he hoped for the best outcome for Najib ahead of tomorrow's Pardons Board meeting.
Zahid said the matter fell under the absolute prerogative of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, whose discretion and wisdom would determine the final decision.
"We hope for the best because this power is the absolute prerogative of His Majesty the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.
"I am confident that Tuanku's discretion and wisdom will determine the final decision, which is His Majesty's absolute prerogative to announce," he told reporters here today.
It was reported that the Federal Territories Pardons Board is expected to discuss Najib's application when it meets, although it remains unclear whether the meeting will result in a decision.
Asraf said Malaysians who demanded accountability over the 1MDB scandal deserved not to be betrayed.
"Our message to the justice system is that if the most powerful person, who holds immense power, is convicted of an offence and has robbed billions of ringgit, then is suddenly pardoned, to us that is unfair."
Najib, 73, has been serving a six-year jail sentence at Kajang Prison since August 2022 after being convicted on seven charges in the SRC International case involving RM42 million transferred from the former 1MDB unit to his personal bank accounts.
In December 2025, he was convicted in a separate 1MDB-Tanore case on four counts of abuse of power and 21 counts of money laundering. He was sentenced to 15 years in prison and fined RM11.38 billion.
Najib's original 12-year sentence in the SRC case was reduced to six years and his RM210 million fine cut to RM50 million following a partial royal pardon in January 2024. - NST, 10/9/2026
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