Pahang: The Sultan of Pahang, Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri'ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah, has stressed that the power to grant royal pardons under Article 42 of the Federal Constitution must not be regarded as a political gift or an act of personal sympathy. Instead, Al-Sultan Abdullah said the power of pardon is a legitimate constitutional mechanism that serves as a final consideration in a justice system that is punitive in nature.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, Al-Sultan Abdullah emphasized that the power of pardon provided under Article 42 of the Federal Constitution should be assessed with calm emotions and a clear mind, not with excessive sentiment or clouded judgment. His Royal Highness stated that any reduction in sentence does not erase a court conviction, remove criminal records, or undermine the rule of law, which forms the foundation of national governance.
Al-Sultan Abdullah highlighted that the granting of pardons and sentence reductions is not exclusive to any individual, party, or position. Each year, hundreds of prisoners from various backgrounds, including those involved in serious and minor offenses, receive sentence reductions or pardons from the Yang di-Pertuan Agong and the Malay Rulers.
The Sultan made these remarks while attending the 120th Meeting of the Pahang Council of Regency at a hotel, with the Tengku Mahkota of Pahang, Tengku Hassanal Ibrahim Alam Shah, also in attendance. Al-Sultan Abdullah pointed out that decisions on pardons are not made unilaterally but through deliberations by the Pardons Board, which comprises representatives from key national or state institutions, reflecting a multi-layered system of checks and balances.
His Royal Highness asserted that under the Constitutional Monarchy system, the Ruler is not an instrument of public sentiment nor subject to political pressure but serves as a pillar of justice that calms heightened emotions and restores balance when loud voices seek to dominate the narrative. He added that the power of pardon should not be seen as a weakness in the system but as a reminder that the country is not governed by social media emotions, does not pass judgment on political stages, and does not replace the Constitution with public anger.
The Sultan expressed confidence that Malaysia would continue to remain a principled and firm nation and prayed that the country, and Pahang in particular, would always be under Allah's blessings.