Najib may seek re-election to Parliament despite conviction

KUALA LUMPUR • Malaysia's former prime minister Najib Razak has not ruled out seeking re-election to Parliament within the next two years, he told Reuters, despite a corruption conviction that would block him from running.

Najib's graft-tainted party, Umno, clinched the premiership last month after it was ousted from power three years ago over a multi-billion-dollar scandal.

Opponents had expressed fears that party leaders facing criminal charges could secure leniency once back in control.

Najib, who was premier for nine years until 2018, was found guilty of corruption last year and sentenced to 12 years in jail over one of many cases involving the misappropriation of money from now-defunct state fund 1MDB.

He has denied wrongdoing and appealed against the verdict while calling for a probe into his prosecution which he says was politically motivated.

He is still a Member of Parliament but the Constitution bars him from contesting elections unless he gets a pardon or a reprieve from the country's monarch.

During an interview with Reuters last Saturday, Najib challenged his disqualification, saying: "It is subject to interpretation."

"It depends on interpretation in terms of the law, the Constitution and whatever happens in court proceedings," he said.

Asked if he would contest the next elections due by 2023, he said: "Any politician who would want to play a role would want a seat in Parliament."

He declined to specify how he could get around the constitutional barriers.

Umno, which held power for more than 60 years until outrage over the 1MDB scandal and the opulence displayed by Najib's family helped to dislodge it, is eager to regain public trust under Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob's nascent government, which must also address factional infighting.

Najib has pursued a public relations campaign to shed his image as an elite and to portray himself as a man of the people. He remains a popular figure on social media, where his critique of past governments has earned him praise.

He said in the interview that he has discussed with Datuk Seri Ismail a possible role for himself in government. Media reports say he could be made an economic adviser. However, the former premier would not say if he will accept a position, saying his priority is on clearing his name.

He also said Umno's return to power guarantees "temporary political stability" and that he would not call for early elections, like he had with Mr Ismail's predecessor Muhyiddin Yassin.

Tan Sri Muhyiddin's government collapsed when Najib and some Umno lawmakers withdrew their support.

Malaysia has seen political instability since the 2018 polls, with two governing coalitions collapsing because of infighting.

A future Najib candidacy would face a constitutional provision that any person sentenced to imprisonment for more than one year or fined more than RM2,000 (S$644) is disqualified from contesting a parliamentary election.

Constitutional lawyer New Sin Yew said Najib can run only if he succeeds in his appeal, receives a royal pardon, or if the King uses his discretion to remove the disqualification despite the conviction remaining in place.

Malaysian and United States authorities say more than US$4.5 billion (S$6 billion) was stolen from 1MDB, some of which went into Najib's bank accounts. The US Department of Justice described the scandal as "kleptocracy at its worst".

Malaysian prosecutors have said that Najib, who co-founded 1MDB in 2009, played a central role.

REUTERS