KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk Seri Najib Razak's lawyer Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah today claimed that the 16thYang di-Pertuan Agong was 'thinking about (giving) a full pardon' to Najib.
The senior lawyer during a press conference at the Court Complex here today revealed what he claimed to have happened amid the Pardons Board's meetings when discussing his client's application for Royal Pardon.
"I am told and confident the then-YDPA (the King) was thinking of full pardon, but he wanted to be sure.
"There was apparently, according to the most reliable report, a kind of ballot papers provided to the non-permanent members (four of them) to indicate their choices of a full pardon or not.
"These four ballot papers were then handed over to His Majesty.
"We are not certain as to how the decision was finally made.
"In view of the fact that ballot papers were used, which was irregular, this matter remains unsatisfactory and unprecedented," he said.
Najib is currently serving a 12-year jail term after he was found guilty of one count of abuse of power with regard to Retirement Fund Inc's (KWAP) RM4 billion loan to SRC International Sdn Bhd, as well as three counts each of criminal breach of trust and abuse of power involving RM42 million of SRC funds.
He was also fined RM210 million.
SRC is a former subsidiary of 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB).
In August 2022, the Federal Court upheld the conviction.
The 70-year-old former Pekan member of Parliament is still facing four charges of abusing his position to obtain bribes totalling RM2.3 billion of 1MDB funds and 21 charges of money laundering involving the same amount.
On Feb 2, The Federal Territories Pardons Board reduced Najib's fine and halved his 12-year jail term to six.
This means that the former prime minister will be released from prison on Aug 23, 2028.
The meeting was chaired by the 16th Yang diPertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri'ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah.