Most Malaysians against pardon for Najib in 1MDB scandal: Survey

A majority of Malaysians said in a survey that former premier Najib Razak should not be pardoned for his role in the 1MDB scandal, even as he is fighting in court to serve the remainder of his jail sentence at home.

- Lu Wei Hoong

KUALA LUMPUR -

The survey found that 57.8 per cent of 1,210 respondents opposed a pardon for Najib for reasons such as betrayal of public trust, significant financial losses, ongoing legal cases, and his refusal to admit guilt.

Objections were markedly higher among groups such as urban dwellers, individuals with higher household monthly incomes, and those with internet access, said Mr Thomas Fann, a spokesman for the civil society group Project Stability and Accountability for Malaysia (Projek Sama), which commissioned the survey.

The survey also showed that 32.7 per cent of the respondents supported Najib's pardon plea on the grounds that he had contributed to the nation.

It was conducted between March 27 and April 17 through phone calls, with a 2.82 per cent margin of error.