KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 19 — A total of 106 prisoners were granted full pardons last year from 2006, while 44 others had their sentences reduced.

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said disclosed that the pardons and sentence reductions were granted following petitions submitted under various regulations, including the Federal Constitution.

“In total, 230 applications were submitted under the Four-Yearly Sentence Review (KHETS), 73 petitions under Regulation 113 of the Prisons Regulations 2000, 38 petitions under Regulation 114, and one application under Article 42 of the Federal Constitution,” she said in a written parliamentary reply.

She added that decisions on such petitions depend on the number of applications received and the frequency of Pardons Board meetings.

The Pardons Board, chaired by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong for the Federal Territories of Kuala Lumpur, Labuan, and Putrajaya, oversees clemency applications in these regions.

For other states, the respective sultan or governor leads the process, with the chief minister or menteri besar as a board member.

Azalina gave an assurance that the review process follows legal frameworks and due diligence to ensure fairness in granting pardons and commutations.

* Editor’s note: An earlier version wrongly stated that the full pardons granted were only for 2024 instead of from 2006 and have since been corrected.