Respect king’s pardon or quit Cabinet, Khairy tells DAP

Respect king’s pardon or quit Cabinet, Khairy tells DAP


The former Umno Youth chief questions whether DAP respects the king's decisions only when they suit the party

Former Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin said he was not asking anyone to defend Najib Razak or support his pardon, but political differences should not be a reason to disrespect the king.

PETALING JAYA: Former Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin has urged DAP ministers to quit the Cabinet if they cannot respect the king’s decision on Najib Razak’s conditional pardon and house arrest.

The former minister questioned whether DAP respected the king only when his decisions were in the party’s favour.

Khairy recalled how the then king’s intervention helped end the political deadlock after the 2022 general election, allowing the unity government to be formed and Anwar Ibrahim to become prime minister.

“At the time, everyone insisted that the king’s decree must be respected. So does respect for the king apply only when his decisions favour us?” he said, according to Berita KS.

Khairy said he was not asking anyone to defend Najib or support his pardon, but political differences should not be a reason to disrespect the king.

“All I ask for is consistency. If we defend the constitution, we must defend it in its entirety. If we respect the constitutional monarchy, we must do so regardless of who benefits from a decision.”

Khairy also questioned the Malaysian Bar’s move to challenge Najib’s house arrest in court, asking who authorised it to act on behalf of the legal profession.

He also took aim at DAP’s former Damansara MP Tony Pua, who suggested that questions about Najib’s house arrest should be directed to the palace.

Pua had said the king made it clear the decision to grant Najib a pardon was his alone, although the government had given its views.

Khairy, however, pointed to Anwar’s statement in the Dewan Rakyat on Dec 10, 2024, when the prime minister said he had personally raised Najib’s earlier pardon request at the Federal Territories Pardons Board meeting.

The former Rembau MP said this showed that the government did play a role and deserved scrutiny as well.

Najib’s house arrest took effect on Tuesday after the High Court issued a fresh order, annulling a previous discharge order given last week.

DAP secretary-general Loke Siew Fook subsequently stepped down as transport minister.

Loke had announced his resignation in September, saying it was to convey DAP’s stand on Najib’s conditional pardon.