Politics · Singapore Bureau
UMNO cautions against protests over Najib's conditional pardon
Malaysia's Deputy Prime Minister has warned that public demonstrations against the conditional pardon granted to former Prime Minister Najib Razak could be interpreted as disloyalty to the King and the institution of the Malay Rulers.
LSN Singapore ·
Deputy Prime Minister Zahid Hamidi cautioned Malaysians against staging protests in response to the conditional pardon issued to Najib Razak, saying such actions could be perceived as showing disloyalty to the monarchy and the Malay Rulers' institution.
The remarks come following the controversial commutation of Najib's 12-year prison sentence in August, which reduced his custodial term but upheld his conviction in connection with the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) scandal. The former leader has since been on house arrest as part of his conditional pardon terms.
Zahid, who leads the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO), framed the warning in terms of respect for constitutional institutions, suggesting that public dissent over the royal prerogative could undermine the sanctity of the monarchy's decision-making authority.
The conditional pardon has drawn mixed reactions domestically and internationally, with civil society groups and opposition figures questioning the decision while government supporters have defended it as a legitimate exercise of royal clemency powers.