KUALA LUMPUR – Former Umno Youth Chief Khairy Jamaluddin has described calls for the cabinet to resign over the royal addendum issue as “extreme,” stating that such demands are premature from both a moral and legal perspective.
In the latest episode of the Keluar Sekejap podcast, hosted with Shahril Hamdan, Khairy emphasized that the issue is not a significant political threat to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s leadership. “I believe he will survive this issue,” Khairy said, referring to the controversy surrounding the addendum.
Some have claimed that this addendum issue could be the precursor to something like the Sheraton Move, which led to the fall of the previous government. However, Khairy rejected this notion, calling it an exaggerated response.
Yesterday, unity government spokesperson Fahmi Fadzil clarified that the government had never concealed any documents related to the royal addendum, which allows former Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak to serve the remainder of his six-year sentence under house arrest. Fahmi, a cabinet member, also stated that he had never seen such an addendum.
On January 6, Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah revealed a letter from the Pahang Sultanate Council confirming the existence of a royal addendum order allowing Najib to serve the remainder of his sentence under house arrest. The letter, dated January 4, was addressed to Najib’s eldest son, Datuk Mohamad Nizar, from Datuk Ahmad Khirrizal Ab Rahman, the Comptroller of the Royal Household of the Sultan of Pahang.
Najib, who was sentenced to 12 years in prison and fined RM210 million after being convicted in the SRC International case, had his sentence reduced to six years and his fine lowered to RM50 million after seeking a royal pardon.
Meanwhile, regarding the Christmas celebration at the Ministry of Housing and Local Government, Khairy supported Minister Nga Kor Ming, stating that the event was neither wrong nor an attempt to promote Christianity. He expressed disappointment that the celebration was politicized, as festive seasons should be a time to celebrate the country’s diversity.
“Regarding what Nga did, I do not see it as wrong. It was neither a threat nor an act of spreading Christianity. Nga simply wanted to celebrate a festival celebrated by some of Malaysia’s Christian population,” Khairy said.
Drawing from his own experience as the Minister of Youth and Sports, Khairy shared an example of a Deepavali kolam decoration set up within the ministry. “Malaysia is a country where Islam is the religion of the federation, the majority of its population is Muslim, and there is an Islamic legal system in place. However, we must acknowledge and celebrate everyone here. So, what’s the difference between Saravanan (my deputy minister) setting up a kolam at the ministry and Nga organizing a Christmas celebration at his ministry?” he questioned.
On December 24, ministry staff from various departments gathered to celebrate Christmas with joyful carols and vibrant decorations. However, the event faced criticism from some quarters.
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