THE move to get a royal pardon for disgraced former prime minister Najib Razak and charges against Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi dropped could be to strengthen the current government, Bersih chairman Thomas Fann said.

“When Pakatan Harapan formed the government in 2018, the expectations across the board were that they would have a full five-year term to bring about some of the important institutional reforms but in the end, they only were in power for 22 months,” Fann said during Bersih’s 2022 Annual Report Launch today. 

“The concern this time is still valid simply because, apart from the anti-party hopping law, the political situation is still pretty much status quo as per the 2018 general election.

“So, there is a possibility this government may not last. That’s why all the political manoeuvring by their partners to get Najib pardoned, charges against Zahid dropped.

“All these are speculations and behind-the-scenes manoeuvring,” he added. 

The Umno Supreme Council was reported to be seeking an audience with the king to present a memorandum asking for Najib to be pardoned.

Last year the Federal Court upheld Najib’s conviction, 12-year jail sentence and RM210 million fine for the misappropriation of RM42 million of SRC International Sdn Bhd’s funds.

On March 31, the court dismissed Najib’s application for a review of the ruling. The former prime minister is currently serving time in Kajang Prison.

The former Pekan MP was reported to have filed a petition seeking a royal pardon in September last year.   

Earlier this week, Zahid sent a letter of representation to the Attorney General’s Chambers to drop charges of criminal breach of trust, corruption and money laundering against him. The charges were brought in connection with Yayasan Akalbudi, a charitable foundation run by his family.

Meanwhile, Fann urged the federal government to speed up the political and institutional reforms it promised during its election campaign, one of which was equal funding for constituency development.

The constituency development fund (CDF) is distributed at the discretion of the prime minister.

“Even though it is a matter of discretion, the prime minister should give (funding) to the opposition so that they have the resources needed to run their constituencies and serve the people who elected them,” said Fann.

“I think this should be a matter of Malaysia Madani, done on goodwill… This could strengthen the stability of the government.” – April 13, 2023.