The Royal Addendum which contains the granting of house detention for Malaysia’s 6th Prime Minister is not about erasing guilt or defying the courts, but about Mercy. The rejection of the King’s Addendum raises troubling questions about the Agong’s constitutional role, the silence of the Rulers, and UMNO’s place in a unity government that now appears comfortable celebrating humiliation.
The Royal Addendum — a written instruction exercising the Yang di-Pertuan Agong’s constitutional power of mercy — has been rejected by the courts. Legally, the matter may be closed. Politically and constitutionally, however, the decision widens a dangerous precedent: it signals that even a royal instruction invoking mercy can be dismissed without meaningful engagement with the Rulers themselves.
A Royal Pardon, in this case brought out in the Royal Addendum issued by Malaysia’s 16th King, is not a declaration of innocence. It is not a technical loophole in the justice system. It is an act of mercy — a constitutional safeguard meant to humanise the law when strict procedure may satisfy legality but fail justice.
That is why this is far more than a case about one former prime minister.
It is about the Power of Mercy and the health of Malaysia’s constitutional monarchy.
Royal Addendum – When Mercy Becomes a Paper Tiger
In a constitutional monarchy, the Agong’s powers are not ceremonial. The prerogative of mercy exists as a moral counterbalance to the rigidity of law — a reminder that justice without humanity risks becoming cruelty.
Yet the King’s addendum was rejected largely on procedural grounds, without public engagement with the palace, without transparency on whether legal advice was sought by the Agong, and without reassurance that royal discretion was meaningfully weighed.
If mercy can be so easily constrained today, what happens tomorrow when a case involves another citizen, another monarch, or another constitutional test?
The silence of the Malay Rulers on this matter is deeply troubling. Silence risks normalising a future in which mercy exists only in theory — acknowledged in law, but sidelined in practice.
From Royal Instruction to Political Celebration
Then came the politics.
DAP’s Yeo Bee Yin posted: “Another reason to celebrate this year end.”
Separately, Raja Sara Petra Kamarudin summarised the outcome starkly:
The King’s addendum rejected.
House arrest denied.
Three years remain in Kajang.
Both statements are legally accurate. Only one is celebratory. And that distinction matters.
Yeo Bee Yin’s post caused more damage than the courts themselves — not because Najib Razak is innocent, but because it confirmed what many within UMNO have long suspected: this was never solely about law or justice. It was also about humiliation.
Justice demands restraint.
Mercy demands humility.
Celebration demands neither — and has no place when constitutional prerogatives are at stake.
UMNO’s Silence Is the Real Test Of The Addendum
This is where the focus shifts from Najib to UMNO.
UMNO sits in government. UMNO provides parliamentary stability. UMNO bears the political and emotional cost of a unity government — repeatedly.
Yet when a senior figure from within the same government publicly celebrates Najib’s continued incarceration, UMNO is cornered.
This is no longer just a legal or moral matter.
It is a political insult.
Will UMNO remain silent yet again?
Will it issue another carefully worded statement about “respecting the courts” while its dignity is publicly eroded?
Every time Najib is mocked by political allies, it is not Najib alone who is diminished. It is UMNO’s bargaining power, its relevance, and its standing within the coalition.
A unity government cannot survive on asymmetry — where one partner absorbs the blows while another pops the champagne.
Also read: BLACK DAY FOR JUSTICE FOR MALAYSIA AS NAJIB BEGINS SENTENCE
The Precedent That Remains
Najib Razak will continue serving his sentence.
The courts have spoken.
But the precedent remains.
A royal instruction invoking mercy can be dismissed without the Rulers’ voice.
Political allies can celebrate a partner’s humiliation without consequence.
And the constitutional meaning of the Royal Pardon can be quietly narrowed.
The King’s addendum may be rejected.
But the erosion of mercy has been recorded.
Now we wait — not for the courts, but for the Rulers to reflect, and for UMNO to decide whether it still understands the power it claims to defend.
Because when mercy is weakened, justice itself becomes smaller. – NMH
Datin Hasnah is the co-founder and CEO of New Malaysia Herald based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
With an extensive background in mass communication and journalism, she works on building up New Malaysia Herald and it’s partner sites. A tireless and passionate evangalist, she champions autism studies and support groups.
Datin Hasnah is also the Editor in Chief of New Malaysia Herald.
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