MalayMail-Aug 26
Despite being behind bars, former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak reportedly still retains enough popularity to remain a political kingmaker. Prime minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob also has to maintain his alliance with Najib loyalists if he wishes to keep his seat, a senior ruling party official told media site Bloomberg under the condition of anonymity. “We’ve learned in Malaysian political life that no one is finished. He will continue to remain prominent and he still has his supporters,” Bridget Welsh, Honourary Research Associate with the University of Nottingham Asia Research Institute Malaysia, was quoted as saying.
The news report also said that Malaysia’s stability and status as South-east Asia’s third-largest economy will depend on how the political power struggle plays out before15th general election (GE15). On Wednesday, Umno president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said that the party will stand behind Najib in his other court hearings despite him failing his final bid to appeal the guilty conviction in the SRC International case. Yesterday, two-time former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said that Najib was likely to receive a royal pardon, but did not elaborate further. Najib’s failure in his final appeal in the Federal Court to overturn the guilty conviction obtained from the High Court saw him serving his 12-year sentence with immediate effect on Tuesday. He was also fined RM210 million. He had been found guilty of one count of abuse of power, three counts of criminal breach of trust, and three counts of money laundering. Read more at: https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2022/08/26/report-najib-popular-enough-to-remain-kingmaker-even-if-behind-bars/24837
