KUALA LUMPUR: Perikatan Nasional secretary-general Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan has challenged DAP ministers to resign over their objections to former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s house arrest.
He also urged Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to consider advising the Yang di-Pertuan Agong to dismiss ministers whom he accused of questioning the royal pardon granted to Najib.
“To the DAP ministers, all of you should resign.
“Otherwise, we challenge the prime minister to advise the King to dismiss ministers who question the royal pardon,” he told a press conference at Parliament building today.
Takiyuddin was commenting on DAP’s opposition to Najib serving the remainder of his SRC International prison sentence under house arrest.
His remarks came two days after DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke Siew Fook resigned as transport minister following the Kuala Lumpur High Court’s decision allowing Najib to serve the remainder of his sentence at home.
Loke announced his resignation on Tuesday (Nov 10), fulfilling a pledge he had made after Najib received a conditional royal pardon on Sept 18.
He had previously said his resignation would take effect once Najib returned home.
Loke said the decision reflected DAP’s principles and its position on the former prime minister’s house arrest.
However, he stressed that DAP respected the King’s constitutional authority to grant pardons.
The party maintained that allowing Najib, who was convicted in the SRC International corruption case, to serve the remainder of his sentence at home could send the wrong message about accountability.
DAP had also decided that its other ministers and deputy ministers would remain in the government to preserve political stability.
Takiyuddin, however, criticised the party’s position, insisting that the royal pardon should be respected and implemented.
He said the opposition was not defending Najib’s wrongdoing or challenging his conviction.
“We are not supporting any wrongdoing committed by anyone.
“What matters to us is ensuring that every citizen’s rights are protected under the Federal Constitution,” he said.
He said that Najib’s transfer from Kajang Prison to his residence in Langgak Duta did not amount to his release from prison.
He said the former prime minister remained subject to the conditions of the royal pardon, which allowed him to serve the balance of his sentence under house arrest until Aug 23, 2028.
The conditional pardon required Najib to pay a RM50 million fine, which was settled on Nov 6.
On Nov 10, the High Court issued a revised order allowing Najib to serve the remainder of his SRC sentence under house arrest following an application by the Attorney-General’s Chambers to clarify the original discharge order.