PUTRAJAYA, July 13 — Umno has not given up on its efforts to seek a pardon for its former leader Datuk Seri Najib Razak, who is currently serving time in Kajang Prison, its president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said today.
He was responding to persistent allegations by Umno members that there was no justice for Najib.
“The party’s efforts are ongoing,” Zahid, who is also rural and regional development minister, told reporters after attending the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the Johor Southeast Development Board and the Agricultural Research and Development Institute here.
“So we must separate justice and efforts,” he added.
He said that in his meetings with Najib, the latter had told him not to be caught up in the games by “outsiders”, without elaborating on who or what it meant.
Zahid said critics of Umno’s efforts to free Najib should learn to distinguish between the legal process and what the party is doing to achieve that goal.
Zahid has been repeatedly asked by Najib supporters about Umno’s commitment ever since the Barisan Nasional (BN) anchor party moved to ally itself with the Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition to form the federal government.
The clamour has grown in recent days as top Umno leaders other than Zahid seek to persuade their grassroots to vote for PH candidates, especially their former arch enemies DAP, in next month’s six state elections.
Najib is serving a 12-year jail term after the Federal Court upheld his conviction and sentence for embezzling RM42 million from SRC International Sdn Bhd, a former unit of sovereign wealth fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB).
The former prime minister is still on trial for multiple charges related to 1MDB.
