House arrest: Najib yet to settle RM50m fine - AG

Umno, the party in Malaysia, is requesting the court to release a portion of former Prime Minister Najib Razak's frozen assets in order to help pay his RM50 million fine. This has been announced by Umno's secretary-general, Datuk Dr Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki, who confirmed that the party is working towards this goal.

Asyraf, who also serves as the chairman of Majlis Amanah Rakyat (MARA), revealed that the party is actively pursuing this matter. This came during a press conference following the conclusion of the Deputy Prime Minister's Cup MRSM Debate Competition held at Maktab Rendah Sains MARA (MRSM) Parit.

Najib Razak was granted a conditional pardon by His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, the King of Malaysia, allowing him to serve the remainder of his sentence under house arrest until August 23, 2028. The conditions for this pardon include paying a RM50 million fine. However, Najib's assets, including bank accounts and properties, remain under freezing orders and government enforcement proceedings, which are not at his sole disposal.

Umno has initiated a donation drive to alleviate Najib's financial burden in settling the fine. Asyraf stated that the drive has collected RM2 million thus far, with contributions averaging RM40,000 to RM50,000 every hour. These funds are being collected voluntarily, without any mandatory contributions from Umno members.