Follow us on Telegram for the latest updates: https://t.me/mothershipsg

The Umno supreme council will seek an audience with the Agong (Malaysia's king) to request a royal pardon for former Malaysian prime minister Najib Razak.

This comes after the his bid to review his conviction and sentence was rejected by the Malaysian Federal Court on Mar. 31.

Najib is currently serving a 12-year jail sentence for multiple corruption charges related to the misappropriation of RM42 Million (S$13.7 Million) belonging to the 1MDB subsidiary SRC International.

'Unfair' sentencing decision

Umno's secretary-general Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki said in an Apr. 7 statement that the party's supreme council had received a memorandum signed by 191 divisions and party wings.

The memorandum, which the council intends to present during the audience, reportedly urged the leadership to defend Najib as he had contributed much to the nation.

He added that the party's grassroots leaders were saddened by the court's decision to reject his review application.

“It is a decision that is seen as unfair and this is in line with the remarks of the Chief Judge of Sabah and Sarawak Datuk Abdul Rahman Sebli, who chaired the five-member bench of the Federal Court, and said Najib did not get a fair trial and he should be released and acquitted,” he said.

The judge, who noted that Najib had no representation during his final appeal, had been the sole dissenting voice in the five-judge panel.

Top photo via Najib Razak/Facebook