Supporters of jailed ex-PM Najib rally for royal pardon

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — Supporters of Malaysian ex-Prime Minister Najib Razak rallied Wednesday outside the national palace to seek royal pardon just a day after he began a 12-year jail term, while opponents launched an online petition urging the monarch not to.

Najib, 69, was jailed Tuesday after losing the final appeal in a graft case linked to the massive looting of the 1Malaysia Development Berhad state fund. His incarceration comes four years after his election ouster over the scandal and was celebrated by many citizens as justice served.

But Najib's supporters, echoing his words before he was whisked off to prison, say he wasn't fairly treated because the top court threw out his bid for a retrial on allegations of judicial bias, and repeatedly refused to delay the hearing to give his lawyers time to prepare.

Some 300 of Najib's supporters, mostly dressed in black, rallied briefly outside the national palace Wednesday under police watch. Several representatives later handed a memorandum seeking pardon for Najib to the palace.

Parliament House Speaker Azhar Azizan Harun reportedly said Wednesday that Najib must apply for a royal pardon within 14 days or lose his seat in Parliament. There was no word from Najib’s camp if he will seek a royal pardon.

Group representative Syed Mohammad Imran Syed Abdul Aziz also urged Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob, who is from Najib's United Malays National Organization, to push for a pardon.

Syed Mohamad said he was told by a palace official that King Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah was concerned about the case as the monarch hails from Najib’s home state of Pahang and knows the politician well.

“If there is evidence of conflict of interest, then Najib should be freed immediately," Syed said.

Najib’s supporters were...