adminKUANTAN: Sultan of Pahang Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah said that the power of pardon under Article 42 of the Federal Constitution cannot be considered a political gift or personal sympathy.
On the other hand, Al-Sultan Abdullah stressed that the power of pardon is a legitimate constitutional mechanism and functions as the final balance in the punitive justice system.
“The power of pardon provided under Article 42 of the Federal Constitution should be assessed with emotion and a calm soul, not with excessive sentiment or a cold head,” his Majesty said in a post on the Pahang Sultanate’s Facebook today.
His Majesty said any reduction in sentence would never erase a court conviction, erase a record of an offence or nullify the principle of the rule of law which is the basis of national administration.
“These pardons and reductions in sentences are also not exclusive to one name, one party or one position. Every year, hundreds of prison inmates from various backgrounds, including serious and minor criminal cases, receive sentence reductions or pardons from the Yang di-Pertuan Agong and the Malay Rulers,” he said.
According to the message, the Sultan of Pahang said this when he agreed to attend the 120th Pahang Royal Council Meeting at the Grand Darul Makmur Hotel, here today.
Also attending was the Crown Prince of Pahang, Tengku Hassanal Ibrahim Alam Shah.
Meanwhile, Al-Sultan Abdullah said the decision was not made unilaterally, but rather was decided through deliberations by the Pardon Board, which is comprised of representatives of key national or state institutions, thus reflecting a multi-layered process of checks and balances.
His Majesty said that in the tradition of the Constitutional Monarchy, the king is not a tool of public sentiment and does not bow to political pressure, but rather acts as an umbrella of justice that calms when emotions run high and balances the situation when loud voices try to monopolize the truth.
“The power of pardon should not be interpreted as a weakness of the system, but rather as a clear reminder that this country is not governed based on social media emotions, does not judge through political platforms and does not replace the constitution with public anger,” his Majesty said.
The Sultan of Pahang also expressed his confidence that Malaysia will continue to remain a principled and resolute country and prayed that this country and the state of Pahang in particular will always be under the grace of God.
— BERNAMA
