SEPANG (Oct 28): DAP secretary general Anthony Loke Siew Fook dismissed former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s recent apology regarding the 1MDB scandal, calling it irrelevant.
Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the DHL Express KL Gateway opening ceremony at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) on Monday, Loke emphasised that Najib has been convicted by the apex court and found guilty of his charges.
“With or without an apology, a crime is a crime. He has been charged and found guilty, and that remains a fact. To me, his apology means nothing,” said Loke, who is also transport minister.
Last week, Najib’s son, Datuk Mohamad Nizar Mohamad Najib, shared a statement on behalf of his father, expressing that it pains the convicted ex-PM to know that the multi-billion dollar scandal occurred under his leadership.
In the statement, Najib apologised and conveyed his regret over the 1MDB scandal.
However, Najib maintained with his defence in various court cases that he genuinely believed the funds he received were from Saudi Arabia and not misappropriated from the strategic state development fund, as conveyed by Nizar, who is also a member of the Pahang executive council.
When asked if DAP would support placing Najib under house arrest to serve the remainder of his sentence, Loke responded, “There is no provision in the law for house arrest.
“Even discussions surrounding the formulation of house arrest laws are focused on prison reform, not specifically on Najib. There are certain thresholds for which specific crimes cannot warrant house arrest. Additionally, serious crimes are not eligible for such arrangements,” he added.
Najib is serving jail time after he was found guilty in court for seven charges related to abuse of power and misappropriation of RM42 million linked to 1MDB and its former subsidiary SRC International Sdn Bhd.
His 12-year jail time and RM210 million fine were however reduced to six years and RM50 million by the Pardons Board, with his latest release date on Aug 23, 2028.
Najib is also undergoing a separate trial, where he is charged with four counts of abuse of power to receive gratifications worth US$620 million (RM2.27 billion), and 21 money-laundering charges. The High Court will decide on Wednesday (Oct 30) whether he should enter defence.
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