KUALA LUMPUR: The unity government needs to explain its stance on former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak's reduced sentence as it has resulted in a corrosion of faith of the people, says Malaysian United Democratic Alliance (Muda).
Its acting president, Amira Aisya Abd Aziz, said: "You can't tell the people to shut up when they dispute it.
"This is a message to the Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil, you have no right to tell the people to keep quiet.
"We see that ever since the Pardons Board announcement, people all around are frustrated.
"That is why we need transparency on the decision."
She said if it was not the government's decision, then the statement issued should be corrected.
"One day the prime minister said it's the prerogative of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, but then the next, Federal Territories minister Dr Zaliha (Mustafa) said it is a collective decision. What is it?
"If it's not the government's decision, correct the statement. You let us run free with whatever assumptions that we have.
"Then you point the blame at us," she said during the '#LawanKorupsi: Najib Razak's Pardon Issue Forum'.
Another panellist, Centre to Combat Corruption and Cronyism (C4 Centre) chief executive officer Pushpan Murugiah said the remission of Najib's case had negated all the efforts made to bring the former prime minister to justice.
"All the efforts — from the whistleblowers, journalists and others — have become meaningless.
"It also now gives a distinction of a double standard. There are the elites; politicians and VIPs and there are the regular people.
"We all have heard about the person who was convicted for stealing a can of Milo."
He said Najib's remission showed that there was no equality of the law as Najib's case had impacted every Malaysian due to the debts that the government had to pay.
As such, Pushpan said, institutional reform was needed.
Also in attendance at the forum were former Batu member of parliament Tian Chua, Parti Sosialis Malaysia's secretary-general A. Sivarajan, Lawyers for Liberty director Zaid Malek and lawyer Sin Yew.
On Feb 2,the Federal Territories Pardons Board said Najib's sentence was reduced by half, which will see his release from prison on Aug 23, 2028.
His fine was also reduced from RM210 million to RM50 million.
Najib was sentenced to 12 years in jail after he was found guilty of one count of abuse of power regarding Retirement Fund Inc's (KWAP) RM4 billion loan to SRC International Sdn Bhd and three counts each of criminal breach of trust and abuse of power involving RM42 million of SRC funds.
