adminKUALA LUMPUR: UMNO will continue to defend the dignity and sovereignty of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong and the Institution of Malay Rulers following the decision to grant a conditional pardon to former Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak.
UMNO president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said the party’s stance is that every decision made under the authority of the Federal Constitution must be respected by all parties.
According to him, the conditional pardon decision granted under Article 42 of the Federal Constitution is a reflection of the constitutional powers and rights of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.
“UMNO would like to express its gratitude to His Majesty the Yang di-Pertuan Agong for his firm statement regarding the conditional pardon which led to the implementation of house arrest for Datuk Seri Najib Razak.
“UMNO is of the opinion that any act that shows elements of protest, including using the conditional pardon decision as a reason for taking action, can be interpreted as challenging and disobeying the constitutional authority of His Majesty.
“UMNO will remain steadfast in defending the dignity and sovereignty of His Majesty and the Institution of Malay Rulers,” Zahid stressed in a media statement on Wednesday.
Zahid added that Malaysia is a country of law, as long as the process involving legal matters is subject to the framework of the Constitution, it is the responsibility of all citizens to defend it.
Previously, the Attorney General’s Chambers (AGC) filed a review application to detail the text of Najib’s release order to avoid any legal technicalities without affecting the Yang di-Pertuan Agong’s conditional pardon.
This caused Najib’s house arrest to be suspended for four days after the RM50 million fine for the SRC International fund embezzlement case was paid off on November 6 through the Najib Razak Solidarity Fund launched by UMNO.
On Tuesday, Najib arrived at his private residence on Jalan Langgak Duta, here, at exactly 9.30pm to begin the execution of his house arrest sentence after the ruling was finalised by the High Court through Judge Datuk Aslam Zainuddin.
-Agency
