Malaysia’s Barisan Nasional (BN), the dominant political coalition in Johor, might have expected to cruise to an easy victory come Saturday when the southern state goes to the polls – until a single remark from the son of jailed former prime minister Najib Razak suddenly gave its rivals political ammunition.
On July 3, Nazifuddin Najib, who heads BN in Langkawi, suggested that a strong showing by the coalition would validate calls for his father’s pardon.
“If we win big, it will send a signal that [Johor voters] still cherish Bossku and hope that Bossku can be with the people,” he told reporters on July 2, using the nickname Najib’s supporters gave him, meaning “my boss”.
Najib was convicted of seven charges of criminal breach of trust, corruption and money laundering linked to SRC International, a former 1MDB subsidiary, in 2020. He was sentenced to 12 years in prison and a 210 million ringgit (US$51.5 million) fine, and began serving it from August 23, 2022, after exhausting all appeals.
In 2024, the Pardons Board cut that sentence to six years and the fine to 50 million ringgit, sparking public backlash. This means that Najib could be released by August 2028.