Court Rejects Najib’s Review – But The Judiciary Seems To Have Incompetent Judge Who Wanted To Free The Crook

Finance Twitter : Federal Court, the highest court and the final appellate court in Malaysia, has rejected a bid by jailed former Prime Minister Najib Razak to review his corruption conviction.

Technically, while he can seek a review again, his review which failed today (March 31) effectively ends his judicial attempts to challenge the guilty verdict, which saw the crook sent to jail on August 23, 2022.

Last August, despite his best effort to put on a brave face and remained calm, a standing Najib fell into his seat in the dock upon hearing that the Federal Court upheld his guilty verdict, smashing his final appeal to pieces. It was the gloomiest moment for the 69-year-old ex-PM and his family that saw wife Rosmah, who herself might go to jail too, wiping her tears, accompanied by their children.

Prior to Friday’s review, all 3 courts and 9 judges (High Court – 1, Court of Appeal – 3, Federal Court – 5) had delivered unanimous guilty verdicts on Najib. He has been found guilty of all 7 charges – 1 count of abuse of power, 3 counts of criminal breach of trust (CBT), and 3 counts of money laundering – involving RM42 million stolen from SRC International Sdn Bhd (a subsidiary of 1MDB).

From the beginning, the success rate is almost zero for a review of the Federal Court’s decision. If a review could easily reverse the highest court’s decision, it will show that the apex court is unreliable and incompetent in the first place. To reverse its own decision is like shooting its own foot. Worse, if the review fails, it will lend more credence that Najib is guilty as hell.

A review will see a new panel of judges to hear whether Najib had suffered injustice or any abuse of process. However, Najib’s self-proclaimed hotshot attorney – Shafee Abdullah – has been selling to his client false hopes, one after another, that he had incredible chances of winning. After today’s review decision, Najib, currently serving 12 years’ jail, will remain in prison.

Mr Najib can no longer challenge the conviction in court, but he has applied for a royal pardon which if successful could see him released without serving the full 12-year term. But it is not as simple as running to the Palace and asks King Sultan Abdullah, who has a close relationship with him, to issue the royal pardon. The pardon process is not a walk in the park.

Even though the Yang di-Pertuan Agong (King) has the power to pardon, the monarch can only act after having consulted or been recommended by the Pardons Board. However, it’s the Prime Minister’s Department that prepares a report for the Pardons Board. And the board shall consider any written opinion from the Attorney General. But both the PM and A.G. are not Najib-friendly.

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