Commentary by Mustafa K. Anuar

CERTAIN unity government leaders appear to have spent the recent Hari Raya holidays trying to convince ordinary Malaysians they have the stamina for friendly fire.

In doing so, they engaged in verbal acrobatics, which made us wonder if they thought we deserved such “entertainment” during the sun-scorched holidays.

We have witnessed in particular Umno and Amanah trading barbs over the issue of granting a royal pardon to convicted felon Najib Razak, in a way only strange bedfellows would.

It all started when Amanah communications director Khalid Abdul Samad made a public statement – ahead of a Pardons Board sitting on April 28 – that Amanah was calling for the bid to seek the royal pardon to be rejected.

He reportedly said granting the royal pardon to Najib will send a negative message to the people, the judicial system, and the world about the country’s stand on corruption and power abuse.

Besides, Najib is only at the start of his 12 years of incarceration.

To be sure, Najib has been convicted of misappropriating RM42 million from a former 1Malaysia Development Bhd unit. It is the kind of money that could have helped uplift the living standards of the poorer sections of our society and to spur the economy as a whole.

In a swift response, Kelantan Umno threatened to sever ties with Amanah if Khalid, who is also interim Kelantan Amanah chairman, did not make a public apology over his statement.

Subsequently, Umno Supreme Council member Mohd Puad Zarkashi waded into the controversy, labelling Amanah as a party that could not be regarded as a true friend, although they are together in the unity government.

He said Amanah was only a political ally and not a trustworthy partner.

But then, aren’t true friends expected to say what is right to you, no matter how unpalatable it is, in times of need?

Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi also intervened, calling for an end to “inappropriate” comments from various quarters pertaining to his party’s move to seek a pardon for Najib.

The cutting words from Umno seemed to have rattled Amanah president Mohamad Sabu to the point of him distancing himself from Khalid’s position, claiming the latter’s view did not represent the party.

Mind you, this was a statement – a principled one at that – issued by no less than the party’s communications director.

As if this is not enough to convince and appease Umno, Amanah deputy president Salahuddin Ayub personally extended an apology to Zahid over Khalid’s remark.

Equally perturbed by Khalid’s statement was Umno deputy president Mohamad Hasan, who warned that people should not poke their noses into the affairs of others.

But then, as Khalid and Mohamad are aware, the pardon appeal is not solely an Umno affair as its repercussions will be felt by most people in Malaysia and beyond.

That is why it’s mind-boggling that Khalid later extended an apology for “upsetting” Umno, but at the same time defended his party’s right “to state a different stand”. That necessitates a leap, as you don’t need to be apologetic about making such a stand.

The situation got murkier when Amanah’s mobilisation bureau director Mohd Sany Hamzan said the matter was just a minor issue and that there was no pressure involved in his party making the apology.

In the first place, as intimated above, the pardon issue is no small matter as it has wider implications to the rule of law, the judicial system and our moral compass. If it is really a minor thing, why bother to apologise?

Amanah leader Mohamed Hanipa Maidin, nonetheless, made a timely reminder that Pakatan Harapan voters would not easily forget Najib’s major financial malfeasance even though the coalition is in bed with Umno at the federal level.

Amanah is expected to stick to a principled stand on this matter, regardless of any pressure.

The discerning public, including voters in the six states facing elections, may not take kindly to the party’s dithering. – May 3, 2023.