Najib Razak, Malaysia’s Former Prime Minister, Gets House Arrest Release Order
Court order and pardon
Najib’s lawyer, Farhan Shafee, said on Friday that he had received the order and would deliver it to Kajang prison, where Najib has been held since 2022. Shafee said the 73-year-old could go home that day if the process went according to plan.
Malaysia’s King Sultan Ibrahim agreed in September to let Najib serve the rest of his sentence under house arrest. The pardon required a 50 million ringgit ($12.32 million) fine, which UMNO said it had paid on Najib’s behalf.
Cases linked to 1MDB
Najib was prime minister from 2009 to 2018 and was convicted of corruption related to the embezzlement of billions of dollars connected to 1Malaysia Development Berhad, a state investment fund he co-founded. He has consistently denied wrongdoing.
More than $1 billion allegedly reached accounts linked to Najib in the 1MDB scandal. He has said he was made a scapegoat in a complex scheme that US investigators say siphoned as much as $4.5 billion.
Political tensions ahead
In a separate 1MDB-related case, Najib was convicted in December last year and sentenced to 15 years in prison, with a $2.8 billion fine, for abuse of power and money laundering. His lawyers sought to suspend the prison term and fines during an appeal, citing his declining health and inability to pay.
A judge rejected that request last month, saying there were no special circumstances and that the gravity of the offence was a more important public-interest consideration. Najib remains influential in UMNO, which is part of Anwar Ibrahim’s multi-party government, despite being a divisive figure.
Key points
- A Malaysian court ordered Najib Razak’s transfer from Kajang prison to house arrest.
- UMNO said it paid the 50 million ringgit fine required under the royal pardon.
- Najib could go home on Friday if the transfer process proceeds as planned.
- The move could intensify tensions in Anwar Ibrahim’s coalition government.