Written by Wong Choon Mei, PoliticsNow Malaysia
KUALA LUMPUR (politicsnowmy.blogspot.com) - As widely expected, despite all the drama purportedly manufactured by embattled Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, his disgraced predecessor Najib Razak has today won a key court appeal that many are convinced can only pave the way for the latter's release from prison into home detention - or perhaps even a fresh full royal pardon that may end with Najib making a comeback as the country's next prime minister.
"The release of Najib, whether direct or indirect, partial or full is a betrayal of reformasi," former MP for Batu constituency Tian Chua told PoliticsNow Malaysia, referring to the Malay word for reforms.
Be that as it may, it's not the first broken promise and few doubt that it will be the last to come from the Anwar administration. What most angers supporters of his core Pakatan Rakyat coalition that includes his own PKR party, the non-Malay-dominated DAP and the Amanah parties are the deceit and never-ending series of melodramas pushed out by the Anwar propagandists and spinners.
Many pointed at how even the appeals court judge highlighted he was "disturbed" by the Anwar government's silence on the existence of the addendum - how Anwar failed to explain its existence or even deny it - when Najib's son was able to furnish to the court a letter dated January 4 from the office of the Sultan of Pahang confirming a royal decree had been issued to have Najib shifted into home detention.
"During the last proceeding, you told the panel that you needed time to verify whether this so-called draft addendum originated from the palace itself," Judge Mohd Firuz Jaffril ever so gently rebuked the senior federal counsel Shamsol Bolhassan in court today (January 6).
"However, before us today, as I was preparing to hear this appeal, what I see is a statement from the Istana Negara... I am disturbed. There was no letter from the AGC or any other respondents challenging the addendum... it is as if you acknowledge the existence of this addendum," the judge added.
THE SHAM ANTICS OF A REAL DRAMA QUEEN
Indeed, despite an 11th hour order from Umno president Zahid Hamidi to his party leaders to boycott a planned rally at the court complex to drum up support for Najib and last week's unprecedented controversial letters from both the Attorney-General's chambers as well as from the new King that all decisions related to convicted prisoners, such as Najib's addendum which was never discussed at the previous Pardons Board meeting, must be re-submitted for consideration - it is clear that Anwar and his unity government were merely making massive preparations to 'damage control' and get themselves off the hook in Malaysia's court of public opinion.
"It's a real sham. Now not only can Najib submit the addendum to the Pardons Board for home detention, he can even submit a fresh application for a full pardon," a Pakatan insider told PoliticsNow Malaysia.
"When the new King considers the addendum and he is told by Anwar that there are no laws that currently permit house detention, the King can actually grant Najib a full pardon especially if he applies for one on those very grounds. So old King and new King are in the clear. Najib wins his get-out-of-jail card, no need even for house detention, while Anwar gets whatever it is he wants from Najib - which may or may not include fulfilling the alleged promise to both Najib and Zahid for helping him become PM after the 2022 election. Only the voters get nothing, while Malaysians get famous again for celebrating and supporting grand corruption. Good deal from Anwar and DAP? You decide!"
The previous King, who hails from Najib's home state of Pahang, had cut by half the ex-PM's original 12-year jail sentence and RM210 million fine to RM50 million. The new King, under Malaysia's unique constitutional monarchy system, hails from Johor and has ruled that any new 'considerations' must be submitted afresh to the Pardons Board. This would include the addendum as well as any new application that Najib and his lawyers deem fit to make, including a full royal pardon freeing him from any remaining jail term.
NAJIB RUSHES FOR FULL ROYAL PARDON BEFORE 2027 ELECTION?
A full royal pardon, if it is timely enough, would also render Najib available to stand for election in 2027, the latest that general elections must be held.
Many pundits and political portals have warned of a looming fight for control of the country - pitting Najib and Pas against Anwar and Zahid. While many of the reasons given seem valid, they are also fallible as the elephant in the room - which is Anwar and his weakness - is just too huge to remove.
"Whoever gets to be PM after the next election must be the one who heads the party with the most seats and that is most likely to be Umno or Pas. But definitely, it won't be PKR especially now after the latest Najib fiasco, so this means Anwar is deader than a dead duck and he's realistic enough to know," the insider said.
"This is why Najib is rushing to get back into the scene. It's obvious to many in the country after two years Anwar cannot do things, build any socio-economic structures or revamp the education system, let alone lead or unify by inspiration. So while there's still opposition to Najib making a comeback, many cannot help thinking warts and all, Najib's still a thousand times better than Anwar. If only he wasn't so corrupt! But then again, is Anwar less corrupt in his own way? Not only is there the alleged secret deal with Najib and Zahid but even now when it's clear that there's no way Anwar can have a second term as PM, is he still striking more secret agreements with Najib and Umno? As for Zahid, as I have always said, he's the smartest. Zahid knows he won't be able to do the PM's job, Umno is already splitting under him and there's also his prostrate cancer."
ANWAR & DAP 'SET UP' MALAYSIA 'KAW KAW'?
Shocking or not, shenanigans of the most murky sort have always dominated Malaysia's political scene and there seems to be no let up in the future. Instead, transparency and integrity have taken a major shift backwards thanks to Anwar's leadership and the cowardice of his DAP and Amanah allies to rein him in.
A dangerous vacuum has been created that sadly can only be filled by another ill wind from Umno - and this time assisted by Pas.
"Instead of helping Malaysia, Anwar has 'set up' Malaysia," said the insider.
"What can DAP do? Of course, it won't do anything. It's already busy guzzling all the goodies that come with power, the same way as it accused MCA and MIC of doing. But non-Malays need not worry because whether they vote for DAP or MCA, Malaysia is on auto-pilot as our politicians have always been and still are very fake. They talk ideals only when out of power. In power, they become like Anwar - all drama queen and no substance. The way Pakatan has wasted our time and our children's future this past 15 to 20 years is the real shame and tragedy, so don't be conned again."
Written by Wong Choon Mei, PoliticsNow Malaysia
https://politicsnowmy.blogspot.com/
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