Urimai’s P Ramasamy said such a perception was “deeply ingrained”, especially among the Indian rank and file, who feel marginalised and under-represented.

“For them, Najib represented a rare moment of attention and support from the political leadership,” he said in a Facebook post today.

Commenting on a survey which found that a majority of Indians backed Najib’s bid for a royal pardon, Ramasamy said the community continues to differentiate between his personal misdeeds – especially in the 1MDB scandal – and his outreach to the Indian community.

Compared to other prime ministers, Najib is seen as more generous and empathetic and, most importantly, more action-oriented when it came to issues affecting the Indian community, the former Penang deputy chief minister said.

“For many Indians, especially those from lower-income backgrounds, Najib is remembered less for his corruption conviction and more for his perceived efforts to assist the Indian community.”

A survey by Merdeka Center published earlier today revealed that Najib’s strongest backing for a royal pardon came from the community, with 62.2% of respondents supporting his bid.

While Najib enjoys majority support from Barisan Nasional voters and segments of the Malay and Muslim Bumiputera communities, the overall sentiment is against any move to pardon him, the report found.

Ramasamy said Najib’s royal pardon bid has revealed the complex and often emotional undercurrents of Malaysian politics.

“For some, he remains a tainted leader; for others, particularly among the marginalised, he is remembered as someone who tried – however imperfectly – to make a difference.”

Najib, 70, was convicted of misappropriating RM42 million from SRC International Sdn Bhd and has been serving his sentence at Kajang prison since Aug 23, 2022.

He filed a petition for a royal pardon on Sept 2, 2022, resulting in the Federal Territories Pardons Board reducing his prison sentence and fine.