Explain Najib’s ‘special treatment’ in Kajang prison, home ministry told
Muda and Bersatu say preacher Wan Ji Wan Hussin’s claims on Najib Razak raise significant concerns regarding double standards and transparency.
(FMT) – Muda and Bersatu have called on the home ministry to provide clarification on the alleged special treatment accorded to former prime minister Najib Razak, who is currently serving his sentence in the Kajang prison.
In separate statements, Muda said the claims made by preacher Wan Ji Wan Hussin raised questions on how the unity government handled high-profile crime cases involving former leaders.
“After several years of fighting kleptocracy, is this how the unity government treats high-profile crime cases involving former leaders of the ruling party today?
“If yes, then it is true about what the home minister (Saifuddin Nasution Ismail) meant about Umno being ‘partners in the struggle’,” it said.
In the latest episode of the “Keluar Sekejap” podcast, Saifuddin had described Umno as a “partner in the struggle” within the context of the unity government.
Muda said transparency is important, reminding that it was a primary agenda championed by Pakatan Harapan (PH) in the last general election.
“However, the longer this government governs, the more questions arise regarding transparency and double standards by both PH and Umno,” it added.
Yesterday, Wan Ji told Malaysiakini in an interview that he had seen Najib serving his sentence at the Kajang prison, but he seemed to be receiving “very special treatment”.
Having recently been released after completing his sentence there, Wan Ji claimed that Najib did not wear the standard prisoner attire but was seen wearing regular clothing like one would wear at home.
Wan Ji was sentenced to nine months’ jail for committing sedition against Selangor’s Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah through a 2012 Facebook post.
Najib began his initial 12-year prison term on Aug 23, 2022 following the Federal Court’s dismissal of his final appeal in the SRC International Sdn Bhd case.
In February, the Federal Territories Pardons Board announced that Najib’s prison sentence had been reduced from 12 to six years. His fine was also reduced from RM210 million to RM50 million.
Echoing similar demands for clarification, Jasin Bersatu Youth’s information chief Na’im Brundage said Wan Ji’s claims made it seem that the nation’s prison institutions practised double standards.
Such inconsistencies would contradict the principle of equality enshrined in the Federal Constitution, Na’im said.
“The special treatment enjoyed by a small minority of inmates is a form of discrimination against all other inmates in the country,” he said, adding that this could potentially undermine trust in the government’s commitment to justice.
