KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Bar will file a judicial review against the Pardons Board over its decision to reduce former Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak's prison term by half for his SRC International corruption conviction.
The motion was passed during its 78th Annual General Meeting (AGM) yesterday.
The newly-elected Malaysian Bar president Mohamed Ezri Abdul Wahab said 238 members supported the motion, with one member objecting.
He said the judicial review would be filed within two weeks.
Asked why the Bar Council had to be the one to file such a court challenge and not other individuals or non-organisations, Ezri replied:
"The floor (attendees at the AGM) has decided on that manner, therefore it is our responsibility to file the judicial review to protect the rule of law.
"We are filing the judicial review on the Pardons Board and not on the decision made by the Agong (Yang di-Pertuan Agong). The manner and how it was conducted.
"As far as we came to know, those who heard that the decision made by the board were not happy (with it) . So, the judicial review is to ascertain what is the right thing that should happen," he told a press conference after the AGM.
The motion was passed with overwhelming majority during its 78th Annual General Meeting (AGM) today.
On Feb 2, the Federal Territories Pardons Board reduced Najib's fine as well as halved his 12-year jail term to six.
This means that the former prime minister will be released from prison on Aug 23, 2028.
Najib is currently serving a 12-year jail term after he was found guilty of one count of abuse of power about Retirement Fund Inc's (KWAP) RM4 billion loan to SRC International Sdn Bhd, as well as three counts each for 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).
The sentence was meted out by the High Court on July 28, 2020.
On Oct 19 of the same year, Najib filed a petition of appeal which contains 307 grounds of appeal on why he should be freed of the charges.
On Dec 8, 2021, the Court of Appeal upheld the High Court's decision and dismissed Najib's appeal to set aside his conviction and jail sentence in the SRC case.
On Aug 23, 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.