KUALA LUMPUR: The cabinet has not discussed the appeal to seek a pardon for former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak.
Communications and Digital Minister Fahmi Fadzil said this included the date of Pardons Board's meeting.
"We have yet to receive any dates or information on the Pardons Board convening (over the appeal to seek a pardon for Najib).
"I can neither confirm nor deny anything regarding this," he told reporters when met after handing over aid to former Utusan journalist Muhammad Basir Abu Bakar, 44, who suffers from heart complications.
Fahmi said he was not at liberty to discuss the matter.
He stressed that information from cabinet meetings were filtered before being released to the public as some matters discussed were confidential and fell under the category of Official Secrets Act 1972.
Umno president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, who is deputy prime minister, had said that the party would submit a petition to the board in its bid to apply for a royal pardon for Najib and that it was following all legal procedures for the process.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim was reported as saying that he would be part of the panel that would consider the royal pardon.
He however said there was no issue of conflict of interest with him being in the panel and that there was due process for Najib's pardon.
It was reported that three online petitions have been created for former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak's cause – one for him to stay behind bars while two wanting him to be freed via a royal pardon.