PUTRAJAYA: The Cabinet meeting today did not discuss the royal pardon application by incarcerated former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak.
Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil, who is also the government's spokesperson, confirmed the matter at a press conference today.
"We did not discuss it in the cabinet (meeting) today.
"We cannot get ahead of the process, and we will leave it to the Pardon's Board.
"It is the power of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong and the Pardons Board," he said.
Earlier today, Channel News Asia reported that Malaysia's Pardons Board would review the application by Najib during its sitting in the third week of January.
According to the report, Najib's application for a royal pardon first came before the Pardons Board meeting in December.
It was deferred to this month's session, scheduled for the third week of January.
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 jail and fined RM210 million.After the Court of Appeal dismissed his appeal in December 2021, he started serving his prison term on Aug 23, 2022, after the Federal Court's decision in upholding the original conviction and sentence.
On Sept 2, 2022, Najib, who is also former Pekan MP had applied for a royal pardon under Article 42 of the Federal constitution, which was within 14 days from the Federal Court's guilty verdict on Najib.
In December last year, Najib's legal team had said they would send a letter to the federal government as a reminder to review the royal pardon.
Najib's lawyer, Tan Sri Shafee Abdullah had then said no response was given by the Pardons Board on the appeal, which was submitted about 11 months ago.