PEKAN folk in Pahang are finding it difficult to come to terms with the fact that Najib Razak’s fate was sealed when the Federal Court sentenced him to prison on Tuesday.

They are still in shock and disbelief that their favourite son was accused of the crimes and saddened by his immediate incarceration.

Residents in the area told The Malaysian Insight they are now feeling the loss as Najib has been representing Pekan for 46 years.

Najib was elected Pekan MP at the age of 23, replacing his father, then prime minister Abdul Razak Hussein, who died in office in 1976.

He served one term as menteri besar from 1982 to 1986 and was the elected representative of the Bandar Pekan state seat in the Pekan parliamentary constituency.

Pekan residents, who stay within walking distance from Najib’s house, told The Malaysian Insight that despite Najib no longer being their MP, their support for Umno will not falter.

Noraini Ahmad, 37, who sells assorted snacks at Kampung Maulana, said she could not believe the news he was immediately sent to jail.

“We were just shocked upon hearing the news. We could not believe it.

“We are finding it difficult to accept the decision (Najib going to prison).”

She said Pekan will always be Najib’s domain and his supporters are always here.

On Tuesday, a five-man Federal Court bench chaired by Chief Justice Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat quashed his appeal and upheld his sentence in the SRC International case.

The apex court ordered him to begin his 12-year jail sentence immediately.

In addition to this, Najib will have to pay a RM210 million fine in default of another five years of imprisonment.

Halimah Ahmad, 65, who has been a staunch Wanita Umno supporter for years, never expected such a swift outcome in Najib’s case.

“We have lost a prominent figure here. We did not expect the outcome,” Halimah said.

“We are saddened because even after Barisan Nasional (BN) fell in the last general election he still continued to help the people here by giving aid and assisting in other matters.”

Housewife Aida Hanum Abu Bakar, 32, never expected Najib to get the 12-year jail sentence and go in so quickly.

“The decision is just shocking.”

Mobile phone shop owner Tan Tong Kuang was also in a state of disbelief with the court’s swift verdict.

“We never expected Najib to get that verdict (guilty). We expected the lawyers to do more to assist him.

He said that despite losing their MP, he will continue to support BN.

“We have lost our MP, but we continue to support BN and whichever candidate they pick to contest here.”

Retiree P. Muniandy, 76, said that he felt bad for Najib after hearing the news.

“I felt sorry and worried for him.

“Every PM (prime minister) had their problems, but not to this extent.”

Fishmonger Roslan Osman, who owns a stall at Taman Maulana, felt the decision was not fair.

“But we will continue to support BN no matter what.

“We will continue to support Umno even if he is in jail.”

The other Federal Court bench members were Chief Judge of Sabah and Sarawak Abang Iskandar Abang Hashim and senior judges P. Nallini, Mary Lim Thiam Suan, and Mohamad Zabidin Mohd Diah.

On July 28, 2020, then High Court judge Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali, who has since been elevated to the Court of Appeal, sentenced Najib to 10 years in prison on each of the three counts of criminal breach of trust and each of the three counts of money-laundering, and 12 years in prison and a RM210 million fine, in default of five years in prison, in the case of abuse of power.

Last year, the Court of Appeal upheld the High Court’s decision and dismissed Najib’s appeal to set aside his conviction and sentence. – August 25, 2022.