KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk Seri Najib Razak's legal team will send a letter to the federal government as a reminder to review the royal pardon appealed by the former prime minister.
Najib's lawyer, Tan Sri Shafee Abdullah said this was neccesary as no response was given by the Pardons Board on the royal pardon appeal, which was submitted 10 months ago.
"We will write a letter tomorrow (Thursday) to the Legal Affairs Division that oversees the legal matters relating to pardon. (And) if I am not mistaken, the department is under the law (and institutional reform) ministry.
"This is to remind them (the government) that it has been 10 months (since the appeal), but we have yet to receive a response.
"We will also bring this matter and file an appeal tomorrow (Thursday) to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong for his consideration," he said during the latest Keluar Sekejap podcast aired today.
The podcast, which was hosted by former Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin and Shahril Hamdan, was recorded on Wednesday (Nov 29).
Commenting further, Shafee said the appeal letter was also different from the usual letters sent for a royal pardon.
This, he said, was as the letter contained many grounds to obtain the King's consent for a royal pardon for Najib.
"Earlier this year, we have already written a thick letter to the King, which contained many substances relating to the royal pardon.
"However, the letter is an interesting one, unlike any other normal pardon letters that usually seek forgiveness as this case (SRC International Sdn Bhd) is different (from other cases).
"(And) never in 47 years as a lawyer, I have written (that my client) have not been the right to be fairly treated, especially in the Federal Court."
Najib was convicted in July 2020 on charges of abuse of power, money laundering and criminal breach of trust over SRC funds amounting to RM42 million. He was sentenced to 12 years in jail and fined RM210 million.
After the Court of Appeal dismissed his appeal in Dec 2021, he started serving his prison term on Aug 23, last year after the Federal Court's decision in upholding the original conviction and sentence.
On Sept 2 last year, Najib who is also the former Pekan MP had applied for a royal pardon under Article 42 of the Federal Constitution, which is within 14 days from the Federal Court's guilty verdict on Najib.
In May this year, the New Straits Times reported that Najib's appeal for royal pardon will be reviewed in due time.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, who is also part of the Pardons Board panel on Najib's case said every convict had the right to appeal for a royal pardon.