Officials depart as FT Pardons Board meeting concludes at Istana Negara

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 18 — Vehicles carrying Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Federal Territories) Hannah Yeoh and former Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Razarudin Husain were seen departing Istana Negara around 9.40am today following the conclusion of the Federal Territories Pardons Board meeting.

Attorney-General Datuk Mohd Dusuki Mokhtar, who sits as a statutory member on the board, was also present for the morning deliberations. As of 9.40am, no official statement had been released regarding the outcome of the session, Astro Awani reported.

The impromptu meeting has intensified public speculation that the board convened specifically to deliberate on the royal pardon petition of former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, which was deferred during the board's previous sitting on September 11.

During that earlier meeting, His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia, who chairs the board, granted royal pardons to 65 other inmates while Najib's case was held back for further consideration.

Najib, 72, is currently serving a reduced sentence after being convicted of misappropriating RM42 million from SRC International Sdn Bhd. He was originally sentenced to 12 years’ imprisonment and fined RM210 million, commencing his custodial term at Kajang Prison on August 23, 2022.

In early 2024, the board halved his prison sentence to six years and reduced the fine to RM50 million.

Subsequent controversy centred on assertions by Najib and his legal team regarding an alleged royal addendum order that would allow him to serve the remainder of his term under house arrest. The High Court dismissed his judicial review application on December 22 last year, and Najib withdrew his appeal against that ruling in April this year.

Speculation surrounding today's palace meeting was further heightened after Yeoh publicly dismissed a viral document circulating on social media on Wednesday night that purported to show her endorsement of Najib's house arrest, clarifying that her signature did not appear on the paper.