KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 29 — Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said that Datuk Seri Najib Razak had never asked to be freed when he was charged in the High Court over the SRC International Sdn Bhd scandal, but only asked for a fair trial.

Amid renewed calls by Umno for Najib to be granted pardon, Ismail Sabri said despite holding the post of prime minister then, his hands are tied in order to preserve Malaysia’s image among foreign investors.

"Many outsiders don’t know that when Najib met me, he didn’t ask to be freed. He said he respects the court,” he related while appearing as a guest on the Keluar Sekejap podcast yesterday hosted by two former Umno leaders.

Ismail Sabri said, although Najib’s case was already at the Federal Court during his time, it had started way back during Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s administration.

He added that due to his law background, he respects the concept of separation of power.

"We can’t just see this from the point of law, and that time we had to also think about matters outside our country. As a prime minister, I had to think further than that.

"If our courts could be interfered with, what would outsiders think? No one would want to invest in our country.”

In this year’s Umno general assembly, the Malay nationalist party campaign for a full pardon and prison release of their former leader Najib.

Umno Secretary-General Datuk Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki said efforts to obtain a full pardon for Najib remained among the party’s top agenda at this year’s assembly and urged delegates to use their "most powerful weapon”, prayer, to secure his freedom.

This was affirmed by Najib’s successor, Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, who said the party is committed to his release even if it has to run the gauntlet of criticism from its current allies in the unity government.

Many delegates were visibly supportive of this affirmation, showing they still view Najib as a great leader despite his corruption conviction for the misappropriation of RM42 million from SRC International Sdn Bhd, and the ongoing 1MDB trial, which has resulted in the devastating loss of billions of ringgit from Malaysia.

In response, Communication Minister Fahmi Fadzil asserted that the legal process must be adhered to when it comes to pardoning a convict.