KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 24 — Addressing concerns, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has played down speculation that former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak may be granted an early royal pardon.

Anwar, who was speaking to Bloomberg’s Haslinda Amin in New York, said the issue regarding Najib’s royal pardon is under the sole discretion of the King and every convicted person has the right to appeal for a pardon.

"But I don’t think we should pre-empt this.

"We are a country guided by the rule of law and I have taken a strong position on the issue of governance and the rule of law,” he was quoted as saying in the interview.

The Pardons Board consists of the attorney-general, a menteri besar or chief minister or the Federal Territories minister, and not more than three other members appointed by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong or Yang di-Pertua Negeri.

Umno had previously expressed their intention to ask the Yang di-Pertuan Agong to consider granting a royal pardon to disgraced former prime minister Najib, who is currently serving his 12-year jail term at the Kajang prison for corruption charges involving SRC International Sdn Bhd’s RM42 million.

As Najib’s SRC offences were allegedly committed in the federal territories, the Pardons Board which will consider his pardons bid will be the pardons board for the federal territories.

Anwar is also a part of the Pardons Board panel on Najib’s case, as the Federal Territories Ministry was restructured and now placed as a department under the Prime Minister’s Department instead.