JUST before the Federal Court delivered its decision on his appeal, Najib Razak, reading a statement from the dock, said he felt the might of the judiciary was pinned against him in a most unfair manner.

If Najib, who can afford to hire the best lawyers, including a Queen’s Counsel, to advise and defend him, is feeling that way, imagine how Suhaini Mohd felt.

On July 7, the Marang magistrate’s court sentenced the 43-year-old Suhaini to 14 months in jail after she was found guilty of stealing two packets of Milo from a local supermarket.

She has none of Najib’s resources to hire the best criminal lawyers to defend her .

As such, she pleaded guilty and the Magistrate court deemed it fit to throw the book at her.

On July 19, 2022, the Kuala Terengganu High Court judge Hassan Abdul Ghani called up the case on his own volition and ordered a retrial.

This time, Suhaini claimed trial. Bail for the mother of four was set at RM3,000.

Najib was found guilty of criminal breach of trust, power abuse, and laundering RM45 million of SRC International’s money, a chunk of which he used to purchase luxury items. Bail was fixed at RM1 million. He was released after his family posted only half the sum.

Suhaini stole to feed her children. The items she took were worth RM74. She had problems raising bail. 

She was clearly crushed by the might of the judiciary. 

Najib said he was shocked at the judges’ decision not to allow him to adduce additional evidence.

He will recollect that Anwar Ibrahim also claimed that he did not receive a fair trial for sodomy.

In fact, hours after the verdict was delivered against Anwar, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) under Najib had issued a statement calling on all parties to respect the judgment of the Federal Court. 

The statement from the PMO stated that Malaysia had an independent judiciary and that Anwar had been accorded due process.

The PMO called on all parties, including those overseas, to respect the legal process, the judgment of Malaysia’s courts and the right of the victim to seek justice.

Separately, while commenting on a recent reckless driving case in Johor Baru, Najib had said that like it or not, this is the nature of the country’s judicial system.

Upon his appointment to prime minister in 2009, Najib promised a slew of reforms, including to fight corruption and reduce leakage in government procurement.

The corruption scandals that occurred on his watch, as revealed in the last two years, were alarming.

Najib did not deny and in fact acknowledged that money went into his personal bank account. 

His defence was that he did not know where the money came from and that he was misled into thinking that it was donated by Saudi royalty.

When others are on the receiving end of the justice system, Najib wants them to respective the law.

When he is on the receiving end, he moans and complains. – August 28, 2022. 

* FLK reads The Malaysian Insight.

* This is the opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insight. Article may be edited for brevity and clarity.