KUALA LUMPUR — The Attorney General’s Chambers (AGC) has denied claims by Former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad that the royal pardon granted to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim in 2018 was invalid, insisting it followed due constitutional process.
The AGC said it had taken note of Dr Mahathir’s recent public remarks — including in a viral TikTok clip — in which he alleged that the pardon was granted without proper procedure, including without a meeting of the Pardons Board and without the advice of then Attorney General Tan Sri Mohamed Apandi Ali.
In a statement, the AGC said the 51st Meeting of the Pardons Board for the Federal Territories of Kuala Lumpur, Labuan and Putrajaya had indeed convened on May 16, 2018, chaired by the 15th Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Sultan Muhammad V, and attended by several members including Dr Mahathir himself, who was prime minister at the time.
It added that the King consented to Anwar’s full pardon and immediate release on the advice of the board, with the Attorney General’s written opinion presented in accordance with Clause (9), Article 42 of the Federal Constitution.
Responding separately, Mohamed Apandi denied Dr Mahathir’s assertion that the pardon was flawed. He clarified that although he was on garden leave at the time, he had submitted his views in writing to the board and had delegated his authority to Solicitor-General II Datin Paduka Zawyah Bee Loth Khan to represent him at the meeting.
The AGC said it viewed the matter seriously, stressing that any misleading statement about the board’s decision was inappropriate and could undermine constitutional and institutional integrity. – June 3, 2025