Anthony Loke: DAP won't punish Tony Pua for remark on Pardons Board

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 7 — DAP reportedly said today it will not penalise its former MP, Tony Pua, for his criticism of the Federal Territories Pardons Board's decision to reduce the jail sentence and fine of disgraced former Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak.

DAP's secretary-general, Anthony Loke said that no disciplinary action will be enforced upon Pua as the former Damansara MP did not violate the party's rules, and that investigation matters would be left to the police.

“Would Tony Pua apologise if instructed by Anthony Loke? He wouldn't; he doesn't need DAP to make a living today, he's not an MP either.

“From what I know of him, with his character, he definitely wouldn't do that,” Sin Chew Daily reported Loke saying in an interview.

On Sunday, the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Tan Sri Razarudin Husain said that police had opened an investigation into comments that Pua shared via Facebook, as it was deemed as inciting the public to despise the royal institution, when the decision regarding Najib's royal pardon application was the Agong’s prerogative to make, under Article 42 of the Federal Constitution.

He said that Pua is being investigated under Section 4(1) of the Sedition Act 1948 and Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998.

Pua, who denied any seditious elements in his Facebook posts, had expressed his commitment to the investigation on Monday, after having his statement recorded at the Federal Police Headquarters in Bukit Aman.

Loke said that while he acknowledged Pua's contribution to DAP and his role in shedding light on the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) scandal, reportedly said that Pua was “not the only one.”

“I know he has indeed spent a lot of time and effort exposing the 1MDB issue, and I can understand his personal feelings, but from the party's standpoint, there should be different ways of expression.

“Today, within the unity government, you can express your stance in a very open, positive manner, but he chose sarcasm,” said Loke, adding that confrontations are unnecessary, since DAP is now an ally of Umno in the federal government coalition.

“If every time we have to end up [being] in tension and opposition, how can the government function?” he asked.

On Monday, DAP’s Ong Kian Ming urged his party leadership to take a firm stand on the 1MDB cases against Najib, following the reduction of the former prime minister’s jail sentence and fine.

He also urged the DAP leadership to take a firm position on the investigation announced by the police against Pua.

Loke, however, reportedly brushed off Ong's remark as “nonsense”.

“Firstly, regarding Najib and the 1MDB scandal, DAP's position was always clear and has never wavered. We decided to work with former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad also because of this,” Loke was quoted saying.

“If it was not for the consolidation of all forces to overthrow Najib, Pakatan Harapan would not have cooperated with (Dr) Mahathir. Therefore, DAP will not forget this position, and anyone, including Ong Kian Ming, saying that we have forgotten our position is nonsensical and completely incorrect,” Loke added.

Najib had initially received a 12-year sentence and a RM210 million fine for abuse of power, breach of trust, and money laundering related to RM42 million from SRC International, a former subsidiary of 1MDB.

In the official statement on behalf of the Federal Territories Pardons Board, the Prime Minister’s Department’s Legal Affairs Division as the board’s secretariat said the decision was made following a January 29 meeting of the Pardons Board for the Federal Territories of Kuala Lumpur, Labuan and Putrajaya.

It said the Pardons Board meeting, which was chaired by then Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah had considered five pardons applications, including the one from Najib.

Under the Federal Constitution, the Agong chairs the meetings of the Pardons Board for the Federal Territories, which comprises the attorney general, the Federal Territories minister, and a maximum of three other members appointed by the Agong.