TAPAH: The Sultan of Perak, Sultan Nazrin Shah, yesterday granted a pardon to 11 people who were imprisoned in March for being involved in an unlawful assembly in Kuala Kangsar in 2009.
The secretary of the Perak Pardons Board, Datuk Razali Othman, said the decision to grant the pardon was made by the board at a meeting chaired by the sultan at Istana Iskandariah in Kuala Kangsar.
“Sultan Nazrin Shah tabled the appeal presented directly to His Royal Highness by the 11 prisoners who were serving a 10-month jail sentence for the offence,” he said in a statement.
Razali said the Perak Pardons Board held a meeting on May 5, on the eve of the sultan’s enthronement, and scrutinised the appeals of 12 people convicted for taking part in the unlawful assembly.
“At the meeting, the sultan only remitted the remainder of the sentence of one prisoner who had submitted the appeal directly to His Royal Highness.
“His Royal Highness said the other appeals were not in order as they had been submitted by third parties and had not been sent through the officer in charge of the prison.
“All the 11 prisoners then submitted their appeals through the proper channel,” he said.
He also said that Sultan Nazrin Shah was satisfied with the explanation of the officer in charge of the Tapah prison that the prisoners had repented and had been of good behaviour.
Razali said the sultan remitted the remainder of the sentence of the 11 people and ordered their release today, June 18, to enable them observe the Ramadan fast and celebrate Aidilfitri with their families. — Bernama