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Shafee: Pardons Board's letter on Najib not confidential
Lawyer Muhammad Shafee Abdullah said the letter he read revealing the details behind the Pardons Board’s decision on the former prime minister was not confidential.
He explained that the letter had been served to Najib and was a public document.
Lawyer Muhammad Shafee Abdullah said the letter he read revealing the details behind the Pardons Board’s decision on the former prime minister was not confidential.
He explained that the letter had been served to Najib and was a public document.
Speaking at a forum on pardons reform, Shafee further revealed that the reason he had not divulged the full contents of the letter was because Najib did not give his permission to do so.
“I only shared what the seal of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong was (about).
“The content, I never shared because I didn’t get permission from my client (Najib). It’s not because it is confidential,” he said.
He added that it was wrong to think that the letter was confidential.
“It is a public document for heaven’s sake. It is a decision of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong,” he said.
Excerpts of the letter read out by Shafee revealed that the Pardons Board had recommended that Najib serve out his remaining sentence.
However, the letter then goes on to say that the then Yang di-Pertuang Agong, Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah, decided to show mercy and reduce the former prime minister's sentence instead.
Najib was originally sentenced to 12 years in prison and fined RM210 million over the SRC International corruption case.
His sentence was reduced to 6 years in prison and an RM50 million fine.
Meeting details under OSA
Meanwhile, though Shafee insisted that the letter he read out was not confidential, he said what transpired during the Pardons Board meeting does fall under the Official Secrets Act 1972.
This applies particularly to Attorney-General Ahmad Terrirudin Mohd Saleh’s opinion on the matter, he added.
Under Article 42(9) of the Federal Constitution, the Pardons Board must consider the AG’s opinion if it is rendered.
The AG is also part of the Pardons Board for each state, as per Article 42(5).
The decision to reduce Najib’s sentence caused widespread dismay, with critics lamenting the former prime minister should not have been shown leniency, while Najib and his supporters yearned for a full pardon.
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