Twists and turns in doing time
Emotions are high amid questions about the royal order for the former prime minister to spend the remainder of his imprisonment under house arrest and why it was ‘concealed’.
IF the decision to grant Datuk Seri Najib Razak a half pardon had felt like an earthquake, then reports of the existence of a royal addendum for him to be placed under house arrest has been like an aftershock.
The news has drawn a dizzying mix of reactions – anger and disbelief on one side, relief and tears on the other.
And as some have pointed out with more than a touch of irony, the last prisoner to have attracted so much celebrity and drama was no less than Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
Perhaps that is why the Prime Minister has taken the latest development rather calmly and objectively. Anwar was the beneficiary of a royal pardon that came like a bolt of lightning after Pakatan Harapan’s historic electoral victory in 2018.
The addendum is now the focus of a legal bid by Najib to challenge the existence of the royal order for the former prime minister to spend the rest of his sentence under house arrest.
Najib is an Orang Besar Berempat in the Pahang aristocracy and the Najib family, according to Umno political circles, had probably known of the royal addendum ahead of most people.
And given how things work in the corridors of power, it is likely that the top Umno leadership would have also got wind of it.
So why did they not act on it, or as we say in Manglish, “Make don’t know”?
Najib’s lawyer Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah started the ball rolling – or should we say that he let the cat out of the bag – on April 1 when he took legal steps on behalf of his client for a judicial review of the addendum order.
Ten days later came the bombshell in the form of an affidavit signed by Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi claiming that he had personally seen a screenshot of the addendum order.
His political secretary Datuk Megat Zulkarnain Omardin posted a touching essay on Facebook about being moved to tears at the sight of the Deputy Prime Minister, who had returned from Mecca a day earlier, signing the affidavit as Muhammad Shafee watched.
Megat Zulkarnain hailed the occasion as the ultimate act of loyalty that his boss had for Najib.
“It was a calculated move. Ahmad Zahid could not sit there and do nothing the moment Shafee brought it to court.
“From what I understand, the family knew about the addendum but it was not for them to reveal. They had even expected Najib to be back home for Hari Raya,” said an aide to a Johor leader.
According to the aide, Najib, despite the half-pardon and reduction of the multimillion ringgit fine imposed following his conviction, is said to have felt betrayed by Umno leaders who remained silent on the addendum.
One of Najib’s staunch supporters, a former Melaka warlord, Datuk Seri Mohamed Ali Mohamed, had recently quit Umno for Bersatu.
Photos of Mohamed Ali, a sand-mining tycoon whose nickname is “Ali Pasir”, with Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin in the latter’s house, have been making the rounds.
“Do you think he would have joined Bersatu without Bossku’s blessings?” said the above aide, referring to Najib’s nickname.
There is simply so much Machiavellian politics going on, with everyone looking out for their own interests.
The chatter in Umno is that the leadership has been under pressure from Najib or the “man in Kajang”, as some now call him.
A top Umno insider claimed that Ahmad Zahid was put in a spot after word of the addendum leaked.
The Pakatan Harapan base, especially its Chinese supporters, is still hell-bent on punishing Najib and some had wondered if Ahmad Zahid, with his supporting affidavit on the addendum, is stepping on Anwar’s toes.
“I wouldn’t underestimate their strong symbiotic relationship. I’m quite sure Ahmad Zahid would have given the PM a heads up on it,” said the Umno insider.
On one level, the matter of the addendum is now for the court to rule on. On another level, it is a highly political issue that some claimed should be resolved without going to court.
“As someone who has served a former prime minister, I have learnt that you must never disrespect a royal order by the King. I pray the government will act with wisdom, taking into account the law and tradition,” said Datuk Seri Alwi Che Ahmad, a former political secretary to Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.
Amid all this are claims that the Constitution does not allow house arrest for a prisoner.
Lawyer Latheefa Koya, who had a short-lived stint as chief of the Malaysian Anti-corruption Commission, has warned that Malaysia will descend into a banana republic if Najib is released on house arrest.
Those aligned with Najib have questioned why the King’s order to form a unity government was swiftly obeyed whereas the royal order to place Najib under house arrest is being buried.
The above Umno insider claimed it would benefit Anwar should a miracle happen and Najib is allowed house arrest.
“The government will no longer have the ghost of Kajang casting a shadow over Putrajaya. It will also shut up the noise from supporters of Najib and curtail attempts by Perikatan Nasional to woo the disenchanted elements in Umno.
“There are people who will be upset but the phobia that nonmalays have for PAS means that Pakatan is assured of their support, whereas its Malay support is still on the baseline,” said the Umno insider.
The endless squabbling between Umno and DAP has fuelled speculation that the partners in the unity government will go their separate ways in the next general election.
“On the contrary, Umno and Pakatan need each other, they cannot stand alone. Removing the Bossku problem might lead to strengthening that relationship,” the Umno insider added.
But it will surely put the Anwar government in a terrible dilemma. The Prime Minister needs to weigh the cost of whether it will set back his reform agenda or if special treatment for Najib will pacify Umno members and help stabilise his Malay support.