NOW that convict Datuk Seri Najib Razak is set to be released from Kajang Prison after a RM50 mil fine has been settled, what is UMNO’s next move?
UMNO has paid the fine and the former premier is all set to serve the remainder of his six-year jail term under house arrest.
He was originally served a 12-year jail sentence over the SRC International Sdn Bhd case but that period behind bars was halved following a royal pardon.
However, the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) has thrown a spanner in the works with its call that the house arrest be suspended temporarily over some legal issues.
As the legal wrangling is set to continue, UMNO might have other plans up its sleeves as it would not easily give up its” hard-won struggle” to raise the money to pay the hefty fine.
The one strategy it would most probably play up is to wave the “royal card”. Najib was given a conditional royal pardon by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong which allowed him to finish the last years of his imprisonment in his posh residence.
A condition imposed was that he must cough up the huge penalty. Immediately UMNO launched a donation campaign and somehow it managed to hit the target.
But who can oppose a royal decree? Won’t disobeying a royal order an act of sedition?
In a strongly worded statement, his Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia, has warned that any argument disputing his decree is “tantamount to defying the king’s order”.
This is a clear warning to Attorney-General (AG) Tan Sri Dusuki Mokhtar and Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail who has said his ministry will follow advice from the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC).
Misdeeds will be forgotten
For UMNO, the only way to remove any obstacle to the execution of the palace directive is to back the royal order to the hilt.
The party wants its revered ex-president released immediately and let the legal dispute be argued out in the court later.
The reaction from Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim was swift, blunt and cold: he disagreed with UMNO paying the fine to get Najib out of prison and into his house-cum-prison.
The reason he gave resonates with the general feeling of the majority of the public that such an act might give the people “the impression that large-scale corruption can go unpunished”.
The crime Najib had committed is so great that Malaysia must never be allowed to forget this darkest chapter in the annals of the country’s history.
UMNO is hoping that after six years of house arrest, the rakyat will forget about the crime and let bygones be bygones which means that the 15-year jail sentence meted out to Najib over his role in the 1MDB scandal might be dropped.
This is given that immediately after his house arrest ends, the felon must start serving his 1MDB term if his appeal against the ruling fails.
UMNO can also roll out another counter-attack: mobilise all UMNO grassroots members and leaders to hit the streets in a massive show of support for their Bossku.
Already, the UMNO machinery is stumping Melaka to exploit this hot-button issue with even some observers seeing Najib’s freedom as a morale booster to the UMNO candidates on the campaign trail in the state election.
If the UMNO-led Barisan Nasional (BN) were to score an overwhelming victory in the land of Hang Tuah because of the Najib behind-the-scene push, the political resurrection of the disgraced leader would gather momentum.
Or UMNO could quit the unity government and go for broke in the 16th General Election (GE16) and try to topple Pakatan Harapan (PH) as the only sure way to haul Najib back to power.
But it all doesn’t make sense to bring back this man convicted and jailed for corruption and abuse of power in the SRC International case and 1MDB scandal which had landed the country deep in the red and is still trying to recover billions in losses.
The country will be watching with crossed fingers as another development is set to take place: on instruction of the PMX, Dusuki will be having an audience with the king to explain the legal complications of the house arrest.
UMNO will be watching the meeting keenly because its outcome will finally decide Najib’s fate.
If the palace sticks to its decision, UMNO can rejoice but if it goes the other way, it will be a big blow to its political fortune and sounds the death knell to the evils of corruption. – Nov 8, 2026
Phlip Rodrigues is a retired journalist.
The views expressed are solely of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Focus Malaysia.
Main image credit: Jason Yew (@jasonyew)/Threads
