GPS respects UMNO’s decision to seek royal pardon for Najib

KUCHING: The Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) respected the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) Supreme Council’s move to seek royal pardon for former Prime Minister Najib Razak.
 
In stating this, GPS chief whip Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof said that despite the efforts made by the UMNO, there are still procedures that need to be followed to get the pardon.
 
“The party can appeal for it, but the procedure that is determined by the law will decide whether he will be pardoned or not.
 
“Nevertheless, it is in UMNO’s right to seek a pardon, and we (GPS) respect that. All in all, we leave it to the process and procedure to determine whether he will be pardoned or not,” he said.
 
He said this when met by the media after attending the Rewang Kampungku Lit Nexgen Petra Jaya programme at Surau Darul Ikhwan in Kampung Semerah Padi here today (April 8).
 
Commenting further, he stated that when Najib was the prime minister, it was known that he had contributed a lot to the country’s development, including in Sarawak.
 
“Back when I was the senior works minister, the development of the Pan Borneo Highway was his wish, in addition to the infrastructure projects that he approved for the state during his tenure as prime minister. 
 
“Therefore, as a party, we respect the UMNO’s decision because it is their right to seek pardon for their leader,” he said.
 
Adding on, Fadilah stressed that whatever UMNO is doing has nothing to do with the Unity Government.
 
“This is because the government is a different matter from the party. We (the government) focus on our goals and the concept of Malaysia Madani. What the government fights for and what the party is fighting for are two different matters,” he assured.
 
It is reported that the UMNO Supreme Council will ask the King to consider granting a royal pardon to Najib, who is currently serving out his 12-year jail term at the Kajang prison.
 
UMNO secretary-general Datuk Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki said in a statement that the supreme council had unanimously agreed to seek an audience with the King to present a memorandum urging Najib to be pardoned.