KUALA LUMPUR – Umno’s repeated pleas for a royal pardon for jailed former premier Najib Razak are a tactic to absolve the party whose image has been tainted by corruption, while diverting attention from its leadership flaws and waning support among Malay-Muslim voters, say analysts.
Last Friday, during the party’s general assembly, Umno president Zahid Hamidi called for Najib’s release from prison.
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