THE High Court’s guilty verdict for former prime minister Najib Razak on all seven counts of corruption in the SRC International trial is a win for the people who voted to oust a corrupt regime in 2018, the Pakatan Harapan presidential council said today.

“The course of justice would not have started had the people not given victory to PH in the 14th general election,” the council said in a statement signed by PKR president Anwar, Amanah president Mohamad Sabu and DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng.

“It was also Anwar Ibrahim who was the first to raise problems involving the management of 1Malaysia Development Bhd in Parliament in 2011.

“The presidential council thanks all who have been involved in this process, including former attorney-general Tommy Thomas, who began the prosecution.”

In Parliament, other opposition MPs today also paid tribute to the millions of Malaysians who voted for PH in 2018.

“It was not an easy trip for Malaysia to get here today. More so, when people who had been given the trust did not investigate and apply the rule of law,” Selayang MP William Leong said at a press conference in Parliament.

He said Malaysia’s systemic failures had prevented 1MDB from being investigated until the 2018 elections that brought PH to power, referring to former attorney-general Apandi Ali, who said in 2016 that no charges would be brought against Najib because the then prime minister had done no wrong.

Najib, the Pekan MP, was today convicted of seven counts of graft involving 1MDB subsidiary, SRC International Sdn Bhd.

The former Umno president was found guilty of having received RM42 million from SRC International while he was prime minister.

Najib, who was also the former finance minister, was convicted on three counts of criminal breach of trust, three counts of money-laundering and one count of abuse of power.

He faces more charges in four other corruption trials, including tampering with a 1MDB audit report.

On this subject, Leong, who was a former Public Accounts Committee (PAC) member, said that although PAC had investigated alleged misdeeds in 1MDB, someone had tampered with the final audit report.

“At the crucial moment there was interference and members were transferred,” he said.

Klang MP Charles Santiago also said that today’s verdict was only achieved because of voters in 2018.

“Had PH not won, this case would not have gone to court. This is a case of the people’s mandate being realised and it is a victory for the people,” said Santiago.

Sg Petani MP Johari Abdul added that the opposition had raised the case as early as 2011 when Anwar highlighted it in Parliament.

“Barisan Nasional at that time did not think it was important,” Johari said.

Meanwhile, lawyer and Jelutong MP RSN Rayer said that it was not right to ask Najib to vacate his seat immediately.

“He has the constitutional right to appeal at the Court of Appeal and Federal Court,” said Rayer. – July 28, 2020.