KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 6 – Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has expressed his disagreement with UMNO’s decision to pay the RM50 million fine on behalf of former Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.
Anwar stressed that friendship should never weaken the fight against corruption and abuse of power.
He said political relationships should not give the public the impression that corruption involving billions of ringgit could go unpunished.
Speaking to reporters after Friday prayers at Masjid Taman Kosas in Ampang, Anwar said he wanted Malaysians, especially young people, to uphold strong principles against corruption.
Anwar Respects UMNO’s Decision
Although Anwar disagreed with the move, he acknowledged that UMNO had the right to make its own decision.
He also stressed that the government respects the legal process and the constitutional decision of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Sultan Ibrahim.
However, Anwar maintained that his personal position on corruption remained firm.
He said the country must continue teaching future generations to reject corruption and abuse of power.
UMNO Completes RM50 Million Payment
Earlier, UMNO announced that it had completed the RM50 million payment to the Kuala Lumpur High Court.
The party also confirmed the closure of its special Najib Razak Solidarity Fund after receiving enough contributions to meet its target.
UMNO secretary-general Datuk Dr Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki said the party had completed the payment process that morning.
The party launched the fund on Sept 18 to collect public contributions and help Najib settle the fine.
As a result, UMNO no longer needed to continue collecting donations for this purpose.
Payment Fulfils Conditional Pardon Requirement
Najib’s special officer, Ahmad Lutfi Azhar, attended the Kuala Lumpur High Court at 11.30am to complete the payment arrangements and necessary administrative procedures.
The RM50 million fine relates to Najib’s conviction in the SRC International case, which involved RM42 million in funds.
Najib, 73, has served his prison sentence at Kajang Prison since Aug 23, 2022.
However, His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim granted him a conditional pardon on Sept 18, 2026.
Under the arrangement, Najib can serve the remainder of his sentence under house arrest until Aug 23, 2028, subject to the stated conditions.
The RM50 million payment formed one of the requirements of the conditional pardon.
Source : BERNAMA | Rewritten By Minutesmy
