Malaysian Court Denies Najib Razak's House Arrest Request

Malaysia's High Court has denied former Prime Minister Najib Razak's request to serve the remainder of his prison sentence under house arrest. The court ruled that a royal order permitting such an arrangement was procedurally invalid, as it was not issued in accordance with constitutional requirements.

Najib, who has been incarcerated since August 2022 for his involvement in the 1MDB scandal, had claimed that a royal addendum order allowed him to complete his sentence at home. However, the court found that the former king should have consulted the country's pardons board before issuing the order.

Judge Alice Loke stated that the king could not grant house arrest independently of the pardons board, emphasizing that there is no legal provision for such a mechanism in Malaysia.

Najib's lawyer, Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah, expressed shock at the ruling and indicated plans to appeal.

In 2024, the pardons board reduced Najib's original 12-year sentence to six years, with his release now scheduled for August 23, 2028. The board also reduced his fine from 210 million ringgit to 50 million ringgit.

Najib continues to deny any wrongdoing, attributing blame to fugitive financier Low Taek Jho, who is believed to be the mastermind behind the scandal.

Separately, Najib faces a verdict this Friday in a second graft trial related to the 1MDB scandal. The High Court will rule on multiple charges, including abuse of power and money laundering involving over $700 million. If convicted, he could face additional prison time.

The 1MDB scandal, involving the alleged embezzlement of at least $4.5 billion, led to national outrage and contributed to the historic 2018 election defeat of Najib's party, which had governed Malaysia since its independence in 1957.