Royal Review: Malaysia's Path to Clemency

Malaysia's royal palace has clarified that prisoners seeking clemency must appeal to a board chaired by the king. This follows a government statement and is pertinent as former Prime Minister Najib Razak pursues a reduced sentence. Najib serves six years for corruption in the 1MDB scandal.

In a recent statement, Malaysia's royal palace underlined the protocol for prisoners seeking clemency. Appeals must be directed to the pardons board, chaired by the king, echoing the government's stance from last weekend.

This directive is especially significant as former Prime Minister Najib Razak seeks to contest a previous court decision, ahead of an upcoming appeal hearing. Najib is serving a six-year sentence in relation to the 1MDB scandal, though the pardons board previously reduced his sentence by half last February.

The palace emphasized the king's constitutional rights to grant, remit, suspend, or commute sentences. The attorney-general's office reiterated this guidance late last year, noting that requests for house arrest, including those by Najib, must follow this process.

(With inputs from agencies.)