CARETAKER prime minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob should check his facts before talking about the legitimacy of Anwar Ibrahim’s pardon that was granted in 2018, lawyer Sivarasa Rasiah said.

The PKR legal bureau head said Ismail should also read relevant court judgments on issues he raised in public during an Umno event.

“Otherwise, it is irresponsible for a caretaker prime minister to present the issue falsely as if there were no court judgments on it.

“This statement is misguided, wrong and irresponsible and should be withdrawn by Ismail,” he said.

Sivarasa claims that Ismail at an Umno rally in Bagan Datuk told supporters there was an issue regarding the legitimacy of the pardon granted to Anwar on May 16, 2018, just days after Pakatan Harapan (PH) had won the last general election. 

“He gave two reasons – one that it was done so soon after Pakatan Harapan came into power. 

“Second, he said that there was no attorney-general at the Pardons Board meeting as former AG Apandi Ali was already ‘sacked’ by Dr Mahathir Mohamad. 

“Third, he said that there was no Federal Territories minister in the Pardons Board meeting, which was thus (rendered) not valid.”

Sivarasa said Ismail should have checked his facts first before addressing the crowd, as all the issues he mentioned were already raised in court when the validity of the pardon was challenged.

“In that case, the High Court on October 30, 2020, and the Court of Appeal on September 21, 2021, dismissed the challenge on the validity of Anwar’s pardon and ruled that all these legal issues that Ismail (at) the rally (said) had no basis. 

“Ismail is no doubt a lawyer but with minimal law practice experience compared with senior Court of Appeal judges.”

Sivarasa said there is nothing wrong with the king pardoning Anwar so soon after PH took power because Anwar had already served four of his five-year sentence, remission included.

He also said that Apandi was not “sacked” at that point in time, but had been asked by then prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad to go on leave on May 14, 2018. – October 21, 2022.