KUALA LUMPUR, May 2 — Malaysian United Democratic Alliance (Muda) deputy president Amira Aisya Abd Aziz told Umno today that her party’s rejection of a royal pardon for disgraced ex-prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak was purely a matter of principle.
Amira, who is also Puteri Wangsa assemblyman, said it was the youth-centric party’s position to reject any element of kleptocracy.
“We are calling for the pardon to be rejected, not because we hate Umno.
“Even in my brief time as a Johor assemblyman, I have seen plenty of good work for the people by the leadership of Umno, especially in Johor.
“Let’s clean up the political arena together, so that the people continue to value us through policy and work on the ground,” she said in a statement today.
She said Muda respected the courts’ decisions and believed that the pardon process should be carried without prejudice or interference from the government.
However, Amira said pardoning Najib would tarnish the country’s image andl set a dangerous precedent.
“Will anyone convicted of stealing and misappropriating public funds receive pardon after this?” she added.
Her statement came after Umno supreme council member Datuk Seri Puad Zarkashi criticised Muda for openly rejecting a royal pardon of Najib.
Commenting on Puad’s remarks questioning Muda’s “cleanliness” when its president Syed Saddiq Abdul Rahman was on trial for corruption, Amira pledged that the party would hold the Muar MP up to the same standards.
“I guarantee. Muda will not be hypocritical,” she said.
Yesterday, Puad, who is also Johor state assembly Speaker, said that unlike Syed Saddiq, Najib stepped down as Umno president and Barisan Nasional chairman when the coalition he led lost in Election 2018.
He also mocked Muda as needing to “beg” to join the ruling Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition.
Prior to Muda, Puad had criticised a PH component, Parti Amanah Negara, after its communications director Khalid Samad called to block any pardon bid for Najib.
Najib is currently serving a 12-year prison term after being convicted of misappropriating RM42 million belonging to SRC International Sdn Bhd, a former 1MDB subsidiary.
