PUTRAJAYA, Jan 31 — Government spokesman Fahmi Fadzil denied that he was the source of news portal Channel News Asia’s report claiming that Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s jail sentence over his conviction involving the misappropriation of SRC International Sdn Bhd’s RM42 million was halved from 12 years to six years.

He said that it was a mere coincidence that he met with the news portal’s reporters before the story was published.

“I was not the source,” Fahmi told the media here today after a Cabinet meeting.

He also urged the media to wait for an official statement on the decision of the Pardons Board in relation to former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s bid for a royal pardon.

“Let us wait for an official statement to be made.

“We have to show professionalism in reporting,” he told the press when asked to comment on Najib’s pardon application decision.

Yesterday, Utusan Malaysia reported that the Pardons Board had decided to give the former prime minister a pardon which would free him from jail.

The news report was retracted within hours of its publication.

On Monday, Utusan Malaysia had reported that the Pardons Board would meet on that day itself and that the meeting would be chaired by the then Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah, and that one of the meeting’s agenda was Najib’s pardons bid.

The Pahang Ruler ended his reign as the country’s 16th Yang di-Pertuan Agong yesterday.

Johor Ruler Sultan Ibrahim Almarhum Sultan Iskandar began his reign as the 17th Yang di-Pertuan Agong for a five-year term today.

Najib has been jailed since August 23, 2022, after the Federal Court upheld his conviction for criminal breach of trust, power abuse and money laundering in connection with funds of RM42 million from SRC International, a former subsidiary of 1Malaysia Development Berhad.

To date, Najib has been in prison for more than one year and five months.

Najib filed his application for a pardon on September 2, 2022, which was just days after he started serving his 12-year jail term at Kajang Prison.

As Najib’s SRC offences were allegedly committed in the Federal Territories, the Pardons Board tasked with considering his application is the Pardons Board for the Federal Territories.

Under the Federal Constitution, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong chairs the meetings of the Pardons Board for the Federal Territories, which comprises the attorney-general, the Federal Territories minister, and a maximum of three other members appointed by the Agong.