The Federal Territories Pardons Board is reportedly set to reconvene tomorrow to discuss former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak’s pardon application, just a week after the matter was deferred.

According to Singapore’s The Straits Times, the Sept 18 meeting is considered unusual as the board is being called back at short notice with only one item on the agenda.

“This is a very rare move. Suddenly, the Pardons Board is going to have another meeting with only one item on the agenda.

“I think there is some form of intervention,” an unnamed official source was quoted as saying.

The report said the palace and Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Federal Territories) Hannah Yeoh have yet to respond to requests for comment.

Meanwhile, a senior Putrajaya source contacted by Malaysiakini declined to confirm whether the meeting would take place.

“Sorry, I cannot confirm whether the meeting will be held tomorrow or otherwise.

“But if the meeting is held tomorrow, it would be in conjunction with Malaysia Day, which fell on Sept 16.

“The previous one (applicants) received pardons in conjunction with Merdeka Day, which falls on Aug 31,” the source said.

Malaysiakini has also contacted the Prime Minister’s Department (Federal Territories) for confirmation.

Deferred in the previous round

Najib’s application was deferred at the Pardons Board meeting held on Sept 11, chaired by Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar.

The Prime Minister’s Department Legal Affairs Division later said the king had consented to defer Najib’s application to the board’s next meeting.

At the same meeting, the king consented to the release of 65 prisoners, with non-citizens to be deported to their countries of origin within six months.

Previously, the Pakatan Harapan secretariat, without naming anyone, maintained its position that those convicted in high-profile cases of corruption and abuse of power "must serve out the full sentence set by the courts".

READ MORE: Hanipa warns clemency for Najib would send rule of law to its grave, deal global blow

Najib, 73, has been imprisoned since August 2022 following his conviction in the SRC International corruption case.

In 2024, the Pardons Board, then chaired by former king Sultan Abdullah Ahmad Shah, halved Najib’s 12-year jail term and reduced his RM210 million fine to RM50 million.

Najib still faces other proceedings linked to 1MDB and is appealing a separate 2025 conviction on 25 counts of abuse of power and money laundering, for which he was sentenced to 15 years’ jail.


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