[Watch] Win Johor, Free Bossku — That’s The Najib Camp’s Maths

Najib’s son says a big BN win in Johor would signal public support for his father’s pardon — but admits only the King can make that call.

In Brief

Nazifuddin argues a big BN win in Johor would signal public support for his father Najib and desire for his freedom.
A BN victory does not automatically free Najib, as any pardon must go through the formal Pardons Board process.
BN is heavily favoured to win, potentially taking 53 of 56 seats, though turnout remains an unpredictable variable.

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Nazifuddin Mohd Najib wants Barisan Nasional (BN) to win big in the Johor state election — and he wants that win to mean something beyond the ballot box.

Speaking at a programme in Kluang, the Umno Langkawi chief said a strong BN showing would signal that Malaysians still support his father, former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, and hope to see him freed.

If BN wins big, it becomes a signal — not just that the people of Johor support BN and the state leadership, but that they still love Bossku and hope he can be with the people again.

But Nazifuddin, Najib’s third child overall, was clear on one point: a BN victory does not automatically free Najib.

The royal pardon, he acknowledged, rests solely with the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, though that distinction did little to quiet the backlash his comments immediately drew.

For context, the King cannot simply decide to free Najib on his own — any pardon must go through the formal Pardons Board process first.

Najib did receive a partial pardon in 2024 that halved his original sentence, but any relief was short-lived — in December 2025, a separate court handed him an additional 15-year sentence and an RM11.3 billion fine tied to the 1MDB scandal, meaning he is looking at significantly more time behind bars, not less.

Don’t Confuse the Son’s Words With the Coalition’s Position

Nazifuddin also took a swipe at Housing and Local Government Minister Nga Kor Ming, who earlier this week said he would be the first cabinet minister to resign if Najib were released — and did not rule out DAP leaving the unity government entirely.

If anyone wants to resign, better resign now. Don’t wait until we win.

Najib, now 72, is serving a six-year prison sentence in the SRC International case, reduced from an original 12-year sentence.

His fine was also reduced, from RM210 million to RM50 million.

The sixth Prime Minister of Malaysia, who served in the office from April 2009 to May 2018, is due for release on 23 August 2028.

He faces a separate 15-year sentence in the 1MDB case, against which he has filed an appeal.

For the record, BN, as an official coalition, did not state that they would free Najib if they win the Johor state election.

So Who’s Actually Going to Win?

BN is the heavy favourite to win the Johor state election on 11 July, with DAP’s Ong Kian Ming projecting they could sweep as many as 53 of the 56 seats.

The twist: BN and Pakatan Harapan (PH) are federal allies in the Unity Government but are fighting each other locally, making this one of the more unusual state elections in recent memory.

PH is on the back foot — their manifesto came out late, their base of urban and non-Malay voters risks staying home out of confusion, and their leaders have quietly shifted to a damage-control message of “vote for us to keep BN in check.”

Perikatan Nasional (PN) is in the worst shape of the three, with PAS and Bersatu barely holding together as a coalition — PAS has even told its own supporters to back BN in seats where PN isn’t contesting.

Smaller parties like Muda and the newly formed Parti Bersama Malaysia are expected to split the opposition vote further, thereby making BN’s path easier.

The one variable nobody can fully predict is turnout — 31 of the 56 seats are still considered competitive, and if enough voters stay home or protest-vote, the final margin could surprise.

In the last Johor state election in March 2022, BN won by a landslide — taking 40 out of 56 seats, enough to govern with a two-thirds majority.