Najib never asked to be freed - Ismail Sabri
He clarified that the former Pekan Member of Parliament only sought a fair trial.
SHAH ALAM - Former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak never asked Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob to free him from the charges he is facing in court.
Instead, Ismail Sabri clarified that the former Pekan Member of Parliament only sought a fair trial.
"Many outsiders do not know that when Najib met me, he did not ask to be freed. He respects the court," he said while appearing as a guest on the Keluar Sekejap (KS) Podcast on Wednesday.
Ismail Sabri said the High Court’s proceedings involving the seven charges of criminal breach of trust, abuse of power and money laundering of RM42 million belonging to SRC International Sdn Bhd (SRC) against Najib were beyond his jurisdiction.
"If we could interfere with the courts, what would the external perception be? The notion that our courts can be manipulated would deter anyone from investing in our country.
"Investors, if they are cheated, where would they turn? Because the Malaysian courts would be seen as unreliable. We depend on foreign direct investment (FDI); if the courts were controlled by the government, no one would trust us.
"As for Najib, I believe in giving him a fair trial. People say I put him in prison, but that is not true, that was a decision made by the High Court.
"The facts of the case, the witness statements, everyone has read them; it is difficult to interfere with the court. They even asked to change the judge and the Attorney General; clearly illustrating Umno’s misuse of power. They stabbed me in the front," he said.
Meanwhile, Ismail Sabri acknowledged that Umno’s support for Najib remained strong to this day.
He said that Umno's Information Chief Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said was urged to take action to seek full pardon for Najib from the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Sultan Ibrahim.
"I hope that some of us in Umno will petition the Yang di-Pertuan Agong to bring that addendum back into the (Pardons Board) meeting so that Najib can serve his sentence at home.
"Or, the Pardons Board could be asked to grant Najib a full pardon from the Agong. If the case is still in court, from the High Court to the subsequent levels, there are nine judges. It is not easy.
"I hope something can be done, and I also hope that the leadership, especially Azalina, who was once so fierce, will petition the Agong," he said.
He explained that when questioned about the Addendum in the Dewan Rakyat last March, it went unanswered, including by Azalina.
"I heard that the Addendum exists, but it was not discussed during the Pardons Board meeting. That is why I asked.
"But if we consider it, it is easier to do the work (to free Najib) after the court has made its decision compared to before the case is brought to court. Because the High Court has one judge, the Court of Appeal has three, and the Federal Court has three. It is more difficult.
"But now, if there is an Addendum for a sentence at home, we only need one person—the Yang di-Pertuan Agong. So, it is easier for them to do their work now. It does not involve legal proceedings, only compassion," he said.
