Summary
- Azalina responded to PH’s statement on the rule of law.
- She said pardoning powers are provided under Article 42.
- Court judgments and pardons are separate constitutional processes.
KUALA LUMPUR, September 20 — Umno information chief Azalina Othman Said, said the constitutional power to grant pardons should not be portrayed as overriding the law.
Responding to Pakatan Harapan’s statement following Najib Razak’s conditional clemency, Azalina said Article 42 of the Federal Constitution expressly provides for pardons, reprieves and respites.
She said court judgments and the pardons process serve different functions within the constitutional framework. Azalina stressed that no individual or institution is above the law.
While the Federal Constitution remains Malaysia’s supreme law. Questions over legal validity or procedure, she added, should be assessed based on the Constitution and facts rather than political interpretation.
