COMMENT | When the convicted felon, Najib Abdul Razak, made headlines in the papers for lodging, and dodging his appeal, three things stood out.

First. The rakyat did not place Najib in the dock. They put the judiciary on the stand.

Second. The authorities were too lenient with Najib.

Third. We did not have to be repeatedly reminded of Najib's guilt. Once was enough.

Malaysians are screaming for justice. In recent months, we were forced to put up with several corrupt politicians being set free.

Ever since he was sentenced on July 28, 2020, we watched Najib convince his gullible supporters that he is innocent of the seven charges of criminal breach of trust, money laundering and abuse of power.

Hordes of his admirers, mostly women, cried and protested that he was innocent. They are probably intellectually challenged and refused to acknowledge the paper trails and the evidence presented in court.

Equally puzzling was that Najib has retained his honorific. When will his "Datukship" be revoked? Despite being convicted, he remains an MP. Why?

If Najib were to receive a royal pardon, a dangerous precedent will be set. The rakyat will have little respect for the courts, but more importantly, they will be livid. The elite...