Azalina: Pardon power is part of the law, not above it

Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said, Umno's information chief, emphasized that the constitutional power to grant pardons, as outlined in Article 42 of the Federal Constitution, does not place any individual above the law.

She clarified the distinction between judicial decisions and the pardoning process, highlighting that the power of pardon is a constitutionally provided mechanism rather than an extrajudicial one.

Her remarks followed discussions arising from a conditional royal pardon granted to former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, underscoring that all actions should align with constitutional provisions and respect the rule of law.

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 19 — The constitutional power to grant pardons should not be portrayed as placing any individual above the law, Umno information chief Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said said today.

She said the power of pardon was expressly provided for under Article 42 of the Federal Constitution and was therefore not a power exercised outside the law.

“The principle of the rule of law is not in dispute. No individual, government or institution is above the law.

“However, the Federal Constitution is the supreme law of the country, and all parties are likewise bound by its provisions,” she said in a statement posted on her Facebook page.

Azalina was responding to a statement by the Pakatan Harapan Presidential Council yesterday following the conditional royal pardon granted to former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak.

She said judicial decisions and the pardoning process were distinct matters, with the courts responsible for determining guilt and sentences, while Article 42 provides a constitutional mechanism for pardons, reprieves and remissions of sentences.

“The existence of the constitutional power of pardon does not mean that a court’s decision is disregarded, nor does it place any individual above the law,” she said.

She added that every institution must act within the powers conferred on it by the Federal Constitution.

“The respective roles of the Pardons Board, the Attorney General and the relevant Minister must be understood in accordance with Article 42 and the prescribed constitutional process, rather than through political interpretation or perception,” she said.

Azalina said questions concerning the validity, legal effect or process of any action should be assessed based on the Constitution, the facts and the actual process followed rather than merely on political statements.

“Respect the decisions of the courts. Respect the Constitution. Respect the processes provided for by the Constitution.

“No one is above the law. And no one is above the Constitution,” she added.

Najib was convicted in 2020 over the misappropriation of RM42 million from SRC International, a former 1MDB subsidiary, and began serving his 12-year prison sentence in August 2022 after the Federal Court upheld his conviction.

His original sentence was halved to six years and his RM210 million fine reduced to RM50 million following a review by the Federal Territories Pardons Board in 2024.

Yesterday, His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, the King of Malaysia, granted Najib a conditional pardon allowing him to serve the remainder of his sentence under house arrest until August 23, 2028, subject to payment of the RM50 million fine and compliance with conditions that have not been publicly disclosed so far.

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巫统新闻主任拿督斯里阿扎丽娜·奥斯曼·赛义德强调，联邦宪法第42条规定的赦免权并不能使任何个人凌驾于法律之上。

她阐明了司法判决和赦免程序之间的区别，强调赦免权是一种宪法规定的机制，而不是司法之外的机制。

此前，有关前首相拿督斯里纳吉·拉扎克获得有条件皇家赦免一事引发了讨论。在她发表上述言论之前，她强调所有行动都应符合宪法规定，并尊重法治。

吉隆坡，9月19日讯——巫统新闻主任拿督斯里阿扎丽娜·奥斯曼·赛义德今天表示，宪法赋予的赦免权不应被解读为凌驾于法律之上。

她表示，赦免权是联邦宪法第 42 条明确规定的，因此并非凌驾于法律之上的权力。

“法治原则毋庸置疑。任何个人、政府或机构都不能凌驾于法律之上。”

“然而，联邦宪法是国家的最高法律，所有政党都必须遵守其规定，”她在脸书页面上发表的声明中说。

阿莎丽娜回应希盟总统理事会昨日在前首相拿督斯里纳吉获得有条件皇家赦免后发表的声明。

她表示，司法判决和赦免程序是两回事，法院负责判定有罪和判刑，而第 42 条规定了赦免、缓刑和减刑的宪法机制。

“宪法赋予的赦免权并不意味着法院的判决会被忽视，也不意味着任何个人可以凌驾于法律之上，”她说。

她补充说，每个机构都必须在联邦宪法赋予的权力范围内行事。

她表示：“赦免委员会、总检察长和相关部长的各自角色必须按照第 42 条和规定的宪法程序来理解，而不是通过政治解释或感知来理解。”

阿扎利娜表示，任何行为的有效性、法律效力或程序问题，都应该根据宪法、事实和实际遵循的程序来评估，而不是仅仅根据政治声明。

尊重法院的判决。尊重宪法。尊重宪法规定的程序。

她补充说：“没有人可以凌驾于法律之上，也没有人可以凌驾于宪法之上。”

纳吉布于 2020 年因挪用前 1MDB 子公司 SRC International 的 4200 万令吉而被定罪，并在联邦法院维持其定罪后于 2022 年 8 月开始服刑 12 年。

2024 年，联邦直辖区赦免委员会进行复核后，他的原刑期减半至六年，2.1 亿令吉的罚款减至 5000 万令吉。

昨天，马来西亚最高元首苏丹易卜拉欣陛下给予纳吉有条件赦免，允许他居家监禁至2028年8月23日，但需支付5000万令吉的罚款并遵守一些尚未公开披露的条件。

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