Never-ending Najib saga - a political weapon used by all sides

The Datuk Seri Najib Razak legal saga has been going on for too long, ad nauseam.

Friends, sycophants, and foes have exploited it to serve their political agendas, pretending to seek justice for someone who has gone through the due process of the law and was found guilty and jailed for misappropriating RM42 million from SRC International Sdn Bhd.

Umno’s position that Najib did not receive a fair trial is mind-boggling. This incredible narrative aims to create sympathy by portraying the former prime minister as a victim of political persecution.

The entire Umno leadership cannot be so stubborn or lacking in insight as to fail to recognise the severe and lasting damage caused by Najib’s 1MDB (1Malaysia Development Berhad) scandal.

Umno has a lust for political power, and for them, the end justifies the means. It even had the audacity to ask the former and current Yang di-Pertuan Agong to grant Najib a full pardon.

Now, Najib is pursuing the existence of an addendum that purportedly allows him to serve the rest of his sentence under house arrest.

But is the addendum void, as it was not discussed at the Pardons Board meeting chaired by the previous Agong, as revealed by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim recently?

The King, as a constitutional monarch, must abide by the dictates of the Constitution.

This addendum has become a cause célèbre, manipulated by unscrupulous politicians to serve their political agendas.

According to Anwar, the addendum was sent to the former Attorney-General on Jan 29, 2023, who then forwarded it to the palace for the consideration of the new Agong, as the term of the previous Agong, who chaired the first Pardons Board meeting, had expired.

This entire episode has also exposed the blatant unethical, opportunistic, and predatory nature of the politicians from both sides of the divide.

Umno still maintains that Najib is innocent and that he has not been given a fair trial. However, it aborted a rally to support its former president and prime minister. That did not stop Pas, whose vociferous stance in seeking justice for Najib smacks of hypocrisy of the highest order.

Pas’ lack of ethical and moral principles is blatantly evident in its support and fight for justice for Najib. Compare this to its stance before this.

Back then, Pas vehemently condemned the 1MDB fiasco and accused Najib of being a traitor for squandering the country’s wealth. Pas was adamant that he be prosecuted and incarcerated.

But now it is singing a different tune, championing the call for Najib to be released on house arrest.

Pas is being hypocritical. It does not love Najib but sees him as a political tool to undermine the unity government and to further its self-serving ambitions of power.

Pas will jump on any bandwagon to achieve this objective, even of it means fighting for a convicted felon.

At one time, Pas labelled Umno a party of infidels, with all its members bound for hell. It then embraced Umno in the Muafakat Nasional.

It also cohabited with DAP in the Pakatan Rakyat but then demonised it after leaving this coalition.

Now, it is honouring a convict.

Najib has taken the country and the people for a ride, squandering the country’s wealth, and burdening the people with repaying the money he stole.

He has also wasted the court’s time, expertise, and money, and has made a mockery of the justice system.

They say everyone is equal under the law, but in Najib’s case, it appears that some are more equal than others.