KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 7 — The Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections (Bersih) has amassed approximately 121,000 signatures for its petition requesting that the Yang di-Pertuan Agong not pardon convicted former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak.
In contrast, a petition in support of a royal pardon for Najib that was launched by Selangor BNComms has garnered just under 32,000 signatures, according to news organisation Astro Awani.
It was also reported that as of 10pm yesterday, the pace of both petitions, which were launched two weeks ago in response to Najib’s jailing, was slowing.
Two days ago, Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Azhar Azizan Harun said a formal pardon petition for Najib had been filed with his office on September 2.
Since this was well within the 14-day time frame allowed under the law, Najib remains as the Pekan MP, he added.
Najib was sent to Kajang Prison on August 23 after a five-judge panel at the Federal Court upheld his conviction, 12-year jail sentence, and RM210 million fine for misappropriating RM42 million in public funds from SRC International Sdn Bhd, a former subsidiary of 1MDB.
He risked being disqualified as an MP if he did not file a formal petition for a pardon or any other court procedure within 14 days to overturn or commute his jail sentence and fine to below one year and less than RM2,000, as stipulated in Article 48 of the Federal Constitution.
A royal pardon falls under Article 42(1) of the Federal Constitution, which gives the Agong or Sultan the power to grant a pardon or reprieve to a convict.
