KUALA LUMPUR – Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has pushed back firmly against critics accusing him of abandoning his anti-graft principles over Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s 2023 pardon application, declaring he refused to be seen as persecuting a political rival.
Addressing attendees at the Pesta Melaka, Rumah Kita programme in Taman Melaka Perdana last night, Anwar said tabling the application before the Pardons Board was a matter of upholding the Federal Constitution, which guarantees every prisoner the right to appeal to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.
“As prime minister, I cannot bear to be regarded as persecuting anyone,” Anwar said. “Under our Constitution, every prisoner has the right to submit an appeal for the Yang di-Pertuan Agong’s consideration. Had I blocked it, I would have denied his rights.”
The Pakatan Harapan (PH) chairman admitted the decision sparked heavy backlash from quarters alleging he had betrayed his reformist agenda against corruption.
Brushing off the brickbats, Anwar pointed out the no-win political narrative surrounding the move: “If I don’t do it, I’m called a traitor. If I do it, I’m called a traitor. What is this?”
He stressed that his role as head of government was purely procedural—ensuring the appeal, alongside mandatory medical, prison, and good-conduct reports, was presented for review—while the ultimate prerogative on clemency belonged solely to the King.
Anwar maintained that respecting constitutional due process does not signal any softening in his administration’s relentless crackdown on corruption and power abuse. – November 13, 2026