Sultan of Pahang says power must be exercised constitutionallyKUANTAN: The Sultan of Pahang Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah has stress­ed that the power to grant royal pardon 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. “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 judgement,” His Royal High­ness said in a post on the Kesultanan Pahang Face­book page. “The granting of pardons and sentence red­uc­tions is also not exclusive to any individual, party or position. According to the post, the Sultan made the remarks when atten­ding the 120th Meeting of the Pahang Council of Regency here.

Source: The Star February 03, 2026 14:10 UTC