Malaysia’s former prime minister Najib Razak remains in Kajang Prison as his legal team works through the conditions attached to a conditional royal pardon that could allow him to serve the remainder of his sentence under house arrest.
The key condition is a RM50 million fine. Najib’s lawyers said he is seeking advice on how to satisfy the requirement, while noting that a significant portion of his assets, bank accounts and properties remain subject to government freezing orders and enforcement proceedings.
Malaysia’s King, Sultan Ibrahim, agreed on Sept. 18 to allow Najib to serve the remainder of his sentence under house arrest until Aug. 23, 2028. The arrangement is conditional, meaning Najib must comply with the specified requirements before the transfer can take place.
As of Sept. 21, the RM50 million payment had not been made. Attorney-General Tan Sri Mohd Dusuki Mokhtar said the fine must be paid at the Kuala Lumpur High Court Registrar’s Office, where Najib’s case was heard. He also said it could take some time before Najib is actually brought home even after the payment is made.
Najib’s lawyers have argued that meeting the payment condition may not be entirely within his control because some of his assets are frozen or involved in government enforcement proceedings. They said the former prime minister is considering his options while he and his legal team study the practical implications of the pardon.
The Malaysian Prisons Department has also said that it was awaiting official written notification of the Pardons Board’s decision before taking action. Under Malaysian law, the Home Affairs Ministry has a role in implementing the arrangement, including the possibility of designating a residence as a place where a sentence is served.
Najib has been serving his sentence at Kajang Prison since August 2022 after being convicted in the SRC International case, involving RM42 million transferred into his personal accounts. His original 12-year prison sentence and RM210 million fine were reduced in 2024 to six years and RM50 million following a partial royal pardon.
The latest development is separate from the wider 1MDB scandal, which involved allegations of billions of dollars being misappropriated from the state investment fund. Najib has consistently denied wrongdoing in relation to the broader scandal.
Meanwhile, preparations have begun around Najib’s Kuala Lumpur residence, including the deployment of a mobile police station, although he has not yet been transferred from prison. The practical rules governing any house arrest will be set out by the Prisons Department.
The situation therefore remains conditional rather than an immediate release from prison. Until the financial requirement and other formal conditions are satisfied, Najib remains in Kajang.
The bigger question now is when — and under exactly what restrictions — Najib will actually leave prison for house arrest, and how Malaysia will implement a conditional arrangement that is highly unusual in the country’s legal history.
