Malaysia’s king allows former leader Najib to serve rest of his graft sentence under house arrest

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — Former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak received unprecedented royal clemency on Friday, allowing him to serve the remainder of his prison term for corruption under house arrest. The decision, made during a sudden Pardons Board meeting, marked the first use of house arrest as royal clemency in the country's history.

Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar granted the "conditional pardon," and Najib must pay a 50 million ringgit fine ($12 million) to serve the sentence until Aug. 23, 2028. He must also adhere to additional conditions, or the pardon will be revoked. Najib, 73, has been jailed since August 2022 after the top court upheld his conviction in a corruption case linked to the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) fund.

The corruption case involved the theft of at least $4.5 billion from the fund, allegedly used to finance personal purchases and international investments. Despite the conviction, Najib continues to wield political influence within his party, the United Malays National Organization, which is now part of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim's coalition government formed after the 2022 elections.