SHAH ALAM, Oct 23 — The government remains committed to pursuing civil claims and recovering assets linked to 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), even if individuals convicted of offences connected to the scandal are granted pardons.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said civil claims are governed by different legal grounds and evidentiary processes from criminal proceedings, Harian Metro reported.
Anwar added that any decision involving sentencing or a pardon under Article 42 of the Federal Constitution must be examined according to the scope of the decision and applicable laws.
“The right of the government and 1MDB to pursue civil claims must be assessed based on the grounds for the claims, the evidence and the court orders issued in the relevant proceedings.
“Similarly, any asset forfeiture action is subject to the provisions of the law and the conditions governing such actions,” he said in a written parliamentary reply published on the Parliament website and dated October 22.
Anwar, who is also finance minister, was responding to a question from Ipoh Timur MP Howard Lee, who sought assurances that developments concerning the sentencing of any prisoner would not compromise efforts to recover assets linked to 1MDB.
In September, former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak was reported to have received a conditional pardon from Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia, allowing him to serve the remainder of his prison sentence under house arrest until August 23, 2028.
Najib, 73, was sentenced to 12 years in prison and fined RM210 million after the Kuala Lumpur High Court found him guilty on July 28, 2020, of seven charges involving RM42 million in funds belonging to SRC International Sdn Bhd.
However, in February 2024, the Federal Territories Pardons Board halved his original 12-year prison sentence and reduced his RM210 million fine to RM50 million.
Taking into account payments already made and outstanding financial commitments, Anwar said the government's total financial obligations related to 1MDB amounted to RM51.4 billion.
“After deducting the recovery of funds and assets totalling RM31.3 billion, the net financial burden borne by the government is estimated at RM20.1 billion, assuming no further recovery of funds or assets in the future,” he said.
Anwar reaffirmed the government's firm stance that efforts to recover public funds would continue through established legal channels while respecting the courts' jurisdiction and the power of pardon enshrined in the Federal Constitution.
“The government’s priority is to maximise the recovery of funds to settle 1MDB’s obligations, alleviate the nation’s financial burden and safeguard the interests of the people.
“Since the government began assuming the debt liabilities and financial commitments related to 1MDB in April 2017, it has settled payments totalling RM42.5 billion, comprising RM27.7 billion in principal payments and RM14.8 billion in interest and other commitments.
“The remaining commitment for the Islamic Medium Term Note (IMTN) sukuk, which the government guarantees, stands at RM8.9 billion, consisting of RM5 billion in principal and RM3.9 billion in interest, up until its maturity in 2039,” he added.
