KUALA LUMPUR: All Umno members have been told to respect the decision made by the Federal Territories Pardons Board on Datuk Seri Najib Razak's SRC International case and focus on efforts to strengthen the party.
Umno vice-president Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani said all party members should instead intensify efforts to rejuvenate the party.
"We must accept whatever decisions made by the (Federal Territories) Pardons Board. Let us 'move on' and work towards strengthening the party," Johari, who is also the Titiwangsa member of Parliament, said.
He said this after attending a closed-door meeting between Umno president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and party's division chiefs at Dewan Tun Hussein Onn of the Kuala Lumpur World Trade Centre here today.
Present during the meeting, which last for almost two hours, were the other Umno vice-president Datuk Seri Wan Rosdy Wan Ismail, Umno secretary-general Datuk Dr Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki and party Supreme Council member Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan.
Johari added that it is time for all Umno leaders and members to prove to critics that the party can rise again and return stronger to champion the rights of the people.
"Let us show the people that Umno is able to move forward to ensure the party becomes stronger by the year 2027," he said.
It was reported on Friday that the Federal Territories Pardons Board had reduced Najib's fine to RM50 million from RM210 million as well as halved his 12-year jail term to six.
The decision however did not go down well with several Umno leaders who felt that the former Pekan member of Parliament should be granted a full pardon.
Umno Supreme Council yesterday convened a special meeting and decided that the party would continue efforts to obtain "justice" for the former party president.
The Council, in a statement yesterday, that it hoped that the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim would stand with the party in this struggle in the spirit of fairness.
