by Dobby Chew
Once again UMNO is pressuring for Najib Razak to be released and serve the remainder of his sentence under house arrest.
There are no laws in Malaysia that permits house arrest, nor are there any policies or guidelines for the implementation of house arrest. There is no legal basis for there to be special consideration for Najib nor are there any special procedures that can or should be applied to grant him a special status.
Malaysia prison system is due a reform, and that includes expanding the use of alternative to imprisonment. However, any policies or laws enabling house arrest must first be enacted, and the criteria for house arrest must be clear and appropriate. Whether Najib qualifies for such consideration cannot be arbitrarily determined by the government.
Malaysia must obey the rule of law and this means Najib must serve his sentence like everyone else until there is a change in the law that would serve ALL Malaysians.
Dobby Chew
Vice President MUDA
