Have Mercy on Whom?

 

Muhammad Azrul Haqim Azman, a 29-year-old father of two, was sentenced to jail recently. His crime? Stealing basic household items valued at RM113.70 from a supermarket on New Year’s Day. Azrul, now jobless and with no steady income, stole out of desperation. The items were not for resale, but for the daily needs of his young family, which includes a four-year-old and an infant just three months old. His plea for leniency fell on deaf ears. 

Could some civic-minded citizens help this man? Shouldn’t the people sign a petition seeking a pardon from the Terengganu Ruler? Meanwhile, the Yang di-Pertuan Besar of Negeri Sembilan expressed deep concern over the prevalence of corruption, while also voicing disappointment at those who continue to support individuals convicted of graft. He said he was shocked that some still rallied behind individuals found guilty of serious corruption offences, as if such acts were acceptable or forgivable.

 

Source: https://www.wikihow.life

But all these remarks or chidings are akin to water off a duck’s back as far as the “Party” is concerned. Its “pardon for Najib (Abdul Razak)” juggernaut, which rolled out after the Federal Court dismissed his appeal in the SRC case in 2022, shows no sign of abatement. In April 2023, its supreme council asked the Yang di-Pertuan Agong to consider granting former prime minister Najib a royal pardon. The party’s supreme council intend to seek an audience with the King to present a memorandum asking for Najib to be pardoned. Since then, at every given opportunity, their leaders have never missed the opportunity to talk about a pardon. 

Regulation 113 of the Prisons Regulations 2000 states:

 (1)   A prisoner may, if he wishes, petition the Yang di-Pertuan Agong or the Ruler or Yang diPertua Negeri, as the case may be, on the subject of his conviction or sentence, once as soon as practicable after his conviction and a second such petition shall be allowed when a prisoner has completed three years from the date of conviction, and thereafter such petitions shall be granted at two yearly intervals, unless there are any special circumstances which the Officer-in-Charge may consider should be brought to the notice of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong or the Ruler or the Yang di-Pertua Negeri, as the case may be.

 

(2) A prisoner may, if he wishes, petition the Yang di-Pertuan Agong or the Ruler or the Yang diPertua Negeri on any other subject at any time, provided that no petition shall be permitted if the reply to a previous petition on the same subject is still outstanding. 

The keyword in Rule 113 is “prisoner”. Period. Any petition other than that from Najib will never be considered. So, why this futility? 

Malaysia’s justice theatre plays on a father is jailed for RM113 worth of groceries, while a former prime minister convicted of siphoning billions is serenaded with chants of “Bossku.”

One man’s desperation is treated as a crime; another man’s corruption is dressed up as a cause for compassion. Perhaps the lesson is this: steal a little, and you are a criminal; steal a lot, and you are possibly awaiting a pardon. 

Poverty earns punishment, privilege earns petitions. The message is clear — steal bread, and you are a thief; steal billions, and you may become a celebrity. 

Reference:

Exclusive | RM113 vs RM45 billion: Who deserves mercy?

Citizen Nades, https://newswav.com, 19 Jan 2026