Official statement on ex-Malaysian PM Najib's pardon expected this week: Minister - CNA

PUTRAJAYA: An official statement regarding former Malaysian prime minister Najib Razak’s partial royal pardon is expected to be released this week, said the minister in the prime minister's department in charge of federal territories Zaliha Mustafa on Thursday (Feb 1).

"We await the statement (from the pardons board) ... this week, we hope,” Dr Zaliha, who sits on the pardons board, said at an event.

At a press conference on Wednesday, communications minister Fahmi Fadzil said that the issue of Najib's pardon was discussed in a Cabinet meeting, but also added: "Let’s not jump the gun. Let us wait for an official statement to be made and follow that due process."

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2024-02-01 03:47:31Z
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Singapore leaders congratulate Johor ruler Sultan Ibrahim on becoming Malaysia's 17th king - CNA

In his letter, Mr Lee said that Sultan Ibrahim’s “vision of a cohesive and forward-looking Malaysia” bodes well for the country’s development.

“I am confident that Your Majesty will discharge the functions of the highest office in Malaysia with distinction and commitment,” he said.

Mr Lee said that the “multi-faceted and enduring relationship” between Singapore and Malaysia is grounded in the two countries’ historical ties.

The two countries work closely in multiple domains, both bilaterally and within the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, and “in an uncertain world, our partnership will be even more vital for the continued prosperity and security of our peoples”, he said.

Mr Lee said Singapore is looking forward to strengthening its friendship and cooperation with Malaysia during Sultan Ibrahim’s reign.

“Ho Ching and I wish Your Majesty and Her Majesty Raja Zarith Sofiah good health and happiness, and we look forward to welcoming Your Majesties in Singapore soon,” he added.

Sultan Ibrahim has long held friendly ties with Singapore’s leaders and has spoken about the special relationship shared between Johor and Singapore on multiple occasions.

He was elected king in October 2023 after Malaysia’s nine sultans met to vote on who among them would be the country’s next head of state. 

The decision followed the established order of Malaysia’s unique rotational monarchy system in which the country’s nine hereditary rulers take turns to be the king for a five-year term.

Sultan Ibrahim’s late father Sultan Iskandar Sultan Ismail was the last Johor ruler to be Yang di-Pertuan Agong, reigning from 1984 to 1989.

Sultan Ibrahim succeeded Pahang ruler Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah, whose term as king ended on Jan 30.

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2024-01-31 12:10:41Z
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Japan earthquake survivors battle unsanitary conditions with no running water - CNA

"The one non-negotiable I have is washing and sanitising our hands after going to the toilet, given it's the season when infections can spread quickly," she added.

Bitter cold is also posing a challenge, especially for scores of residents who are sleeping in their cars after their homes were wrecked. The area was hit by heavy snow over the past week and authorities have warned of a risk of landslides.

"This life is becoming the norm - I think we can get through it," Terashita said. "Well, we have no other choice."

Over 900 deaths from the devastating Kobe earthquake of 1995 happened after the quake, due in part to the spread of flu and lack of medical care at evacuation centres, according to public health experts.

Authorities in Ishikawa prefecture are set to begin vaccinating evacuees for influenza on Thursday (Feb 1).

Around mid-afternoon on Tuesday at a primary school in Suzu, where around 4,800 houses still have no water, children played on the swings while locals gathered around a communal water tank that has become a lifeline for many.

As evening fell, residents gathered to bathe in a makeshift public bath set up at the school by soldiers sent in to help with relief work - an improvement from immediately after the quake when people would queue for an hour in the rain for 5 litres of water. 

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2024-01-31 07:01:50Z
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Former Malaysian premier Najib Razak's jail term halved from 12 to 6 years, say official sources - CNA

KUALA LUMPUR: Former Malaysian prime minister Najib Razak’s jail sentence for corruption has been reduced from 12 to six years by the Pardons Board following its meeting on Monday (Jan 29), sources including senior government officials told CNA.

The decision by the board, which is headed by Malaysia’s king, includes a reduction of his RM210 million (US$44.4 million) fine to an unspecified amount, according to three separate sources who spoke on condition of strict confidentiality.

The partial royal pardon for his role in the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) case comes after serving less than two years of his prison term.

The reduction means Najib is expected to complete his sentence in August 2028. But with parole for good behaviour, he could be out in August 2026 after serving two-thirds of the new jail term. 

There has been feverish speculation about the pardon after Dr Zaliha Mustafa, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Federal Territories) confirmed on Tuesday that the board members including herself had met on Monday. She said an official announcement by the Pardons Board will be made.

The meeting was one of Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin’s last official tasks before he stepped down as Malaysia’s king on Jan 31 and handed the role to Johor ruler Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar under the country’s unique rotation system for its nine royal state households.

CNA is contacting the Malaysian authorities for comment. Najib's lead counsel Muhammad Shafee Abdullah said he has yet to be informed of any decision by the Pardons Board. 

NAJIB’S INFLUENCE AND OUTSTANDING CHARGES

Najib, an ex-United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) president, is still believed to wield huge influence in the party, which is part of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s unity government.

He was Malaysia’s premier for nine years until May 2018 and its first PM to be imprisoned. He began serving his jail term in August 2022 after two failed appeals to overturn his conviction at a Malaysian High Court two years earlier.

The charges involved the transfer of RM42 million from SRC International, a former subsidiary of 1MDB, into his personal bank accounts in 2014 and 2015.

He was found guilty of three counts of criminal breach of trust, three counts of money laundering and one count of abuse of power by the High Court in July 2020, and was sentenced to 12 years in jail and fined RM210 million. The fine remains unsettled.

He is also facing several other charges in relation to the 1MDB scandal, including the laundering of RM27 million involving funds from SRC International.

Najib’s lawyers have applied to dismiss this money laundering case, and the court has said he can apply for an acquittal, or a discharge not amounting to an acquittal if prosecutors are not prepared to proceed with the trial in September, local media reported.

1MDB, Najib’s brainchild shortly after he became premier, turned into one of the biggest scandals to rock Malaysia and the international financial community. United States and Malaysian investigators estimate that more than US$4.5 billion was stolen from the fund and another US$1 billion flowed into accounts held by Najib.

Just days after Najib began serving his sentence at the Federal Prison of Kajang on the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur, he applied for a royal pardon.

CNA previously broke the news that Najib’s lead counsel Shafee had filed a fresh application in early December last year for the Pardons Board to revisit his client’s clemency application.

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2024-01-31 05:51:00Z
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Taiwan angered at 'unilateral' China change to Taiwan Strait flight path - CNA

Chieh Chung, a military researcher at Taiwan's National Policy Foundation, said the new route would be about 7km from the median line, which would squeeze the pre-warning and reaction time for Taiwan's air defences.

"It is trying to completely eliminate and deny the existence of the median line," he said.

Taiwan's defence ministry said China's "rude and unreasonable" actions can easily lead to an increase in tensions.

"For unknown aircraft entering our air defence identification zone (ADIZ), they will be dealt with in accordance with operating procedures and emergency handling regulations to ensure the safety of our airspace," it added.

The ADIZ is a broad area Taiwan monitors and patrols to give its forces more time to respond to threats, and Chinese military aircraft have not entered territorial Taiwanese air space so far.

China has downplayed the furore.

Its Taiwan Affairs Office described the changes as "routine" to help alleviate pressure on air space, and that China had no need to discuss this first with Taiwan.

Speaking at a regular news conference in Beijing on Wednesday, Chen Binhua, a spokesperson for the office, said the "so-called median line does not exist".

"The M503 route is for civil aviation and is in the Shanghai flight information region. It is to alleviate congestion for the related airspace and routes, and ensure aviation safety," he said.

The M503 route is mostly used by Chinese airlines and also by foreign airlines going to and from cities like Shanghai to Southeast Asia.

Flights to and from Taiwan and China's Xiamen and Fuzhou take a circuitous route skirting the median line, rather than flying directly across the strait.

Taiwan has complained about the M503 route before, in 2018, when it said China opened the northbound part of it without first informing Taipei in contravention of a 2015 deal to first discuss such flight paths. 

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2024-01-31 03:51:15Z
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Johor ruler Sultan Ibrahim sworn in as Malaysia's 17th king; monarch's evolving role raises hopes over diplomacy, unity - CNA

He noted that in recent times, the relationship between the different ethnic races in Malaysia has been tense, perpetuated by polarised political differences, and that the Johor Sultan will be the right person to unite the masses. 

“Presently, we can see the relationship between the races are beginning to fracture,” said Mr Hussein. 

“But I do believe that His Majesty will set it right to unite all people of Malaysia as one Bangsa Malaysia,” he added. 

Mr Teh, the South Johor SME Association advisor, said Sultan Ibrahim could also improve Malaysia’s bilateral relations with some foreign countries through soft diplomacy, given his strong personal friendship with international world leaders. 

“His Majesty … has very good international diplomatic connections, especially with Singapore,” said Mr Teh. 

“We believe and we also hope that he can make Malaysia the choice to attract more foreign direct investments,” he added. 

Political analyst Adib Zalkapli, director of public policy consulting firm BowerGroupAsia, told CNA the role of the monarch in Malaysia has evolved over the years.

He noted that previously, the king played a symbolic role as head of state. However, especially during the reign of Sultan Abdullah over the last five years, the king has been crucial in resolving political stalemates in Malaysia. 

For instance, Sultan Abdullah played a key role in resolving the political impasse after the last 2022 general election ended in a hung parliament, when he appointed Anwar Ibrahim as prime minister to lead a unity government.

Mr Adib noted that Sultan Ibrahim’s outspoken style and willingness to lend advice in government matters means that the ruler would further shape the role of the monarchy.

“Sultan Ibrahim has always played a key role in the governance of the state. And I think with the expansion of the role of the Yang Di Pertuan Agong that we've seen over the last five years, it fits very well with Sultan Ibrahim’s character and style of ruling,” said Mr Adib.

“So it wouldn't be a big surprise to Malaysia in general to see a more assertive monarchy in the coming years.”

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2024-01-31 03:26:00Z
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Outspoken Johor ruler Sultan Ibrahim sworn in as Malaysia's 17th king - The Straits Times

Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar, who will reign for five years, is the second ruler from Johor to ascend the national throne. PHOTO: SULTAN IBRAHIM SULTAN ISKANDAR/FACEBOOK

KUALA LUMPUR – Johor ruler Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar was sworn in as Malaysia’s new king at Istana Negara on Jan 31, becoming the second ruler from the southern state to ascend the national throne.

Sultan Ibrahim, who will reign for five years, is the country’s 17th king. He takes on the role about four decades after his late father, Sultan Mahmud Iskandar, became king from 1984 to 1989.

Perak ruler Sultan Nazrin Muizzuddin Shah will continue in his previous role as deputy king for the next five years.

The ceremony was witnessed by other Malay rulers, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, Deputy Prime Ministers Zahid Hamidi and Fadillah Yusof, as well as other government officials and dignitaries. 

The 65-year-old King, who was elected last October by his fellow royal rulers, succeeds Pahang’s Sultan Abdullah Ahmad Shah. The previous king ascended to the post in 2019 following the historic abdication by his predecessor, Sultan Muhammad V of Kelantan, after just three years on the throne.

Malaysia’s nine royal houses take turns to become king for a five-year term, under a unique rotation system in place since the country’s independence in 1957.

In an interview with The Straits Times in November 2023, Sultan Ibrahim said his priorities as king include stamping out corruption, proposing that the anti-graft agency should report directly to the king.

The monarch also hopes to revive stalled plans for a high-speed rail project between Malaysia’s capital Kuala Lumpur and Singapore, which was cancelled in 2021. Malaysia is still reviewing fresh proposals from the private sector on the project, after conducting a request-for-information exercise. Singapore has said it is open to discussions on a new proposal “starting from a clean slate”.

Sultan Ibrahim has spoken warmly of the close ties between Johor and Singapore, describing them as a “special relationship”.

Known as one of the most colourful and outspoken of Malaysia’s sovereigns, the royal intends to make his presence felt in Kuala Lumpur. He has also suggested that judicial appointments must be made independently, separate from the executive, and that state oil firm Petronas report directly to the king.

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However, his powers as king as set out in the federal Constitution are largely confined to matters pertaining to Islam and the culture of the Malay majority, and the dissolution of Parliament. Executive power is held by ruling politicians and the civil service. 

Nevertheless, Malaysia’s monarchy saw its influence grow during the reign of the previous king, Sultan Abdullah, who used his discretionary powers during a period of political instability to pick three prime ministers between 2020 and 2022.

In an interview with selected media on Jan 3, Sultan Abdullah said he hoped that Datuk Seri Anwar’s administration would last its full five-year term, calling for political stability in the country.

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More On This Topic

No ‘puppet king’: Sultan of Johor set to voice his views as Malaysia’s next monarch

‘Let’s move on’: Malaysia’s King calls for political stability at the end of five-year reign

• Malaysia
• Malaysian royalty
• Johor
• Anwar Ibrahim

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2024-01-31 03:23:27Z
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