Malaysian Bar seeks to challenge Najib’s conditional pardon

The Malaysian Bar has announced its intention to challenge the conditional pardon granted to former Prime Minister Najib Razak. This decision comes amid ongoing legal proceedings against Najib for his role in the SRC International case. The Bar's president, Anand Raj, questioned the Umno party's fundraising efforts to collect the RM50 million fine that Najib owes, citing the reported return of RM114 million to him and the party.

Raj pointed out that Malaysia lacks a formal legal framework for house arrest, emphasizing the need for new rules and procedures. The conditional pardon allows Najib to serve the remainder of his six-year sentence under house arrest, subject to the payment of the fine and other conditions. Najib began serving his sentence in Kajang prison after the pardons board reduced his original 12-year sentence to six years in February 2024.

The Bar is appealing the 2024 decision in the Court of Appeal, aiming to have the decision declared unlawful, unconstitutional, and void. The Court of Appeal will deliver a ruling on the Bar's appeal against the High Court's refusal to grant leave for judicial review on January 7 next year. Anand Raj also raised questions about the Umno party's fundraising drive, given the reported return of RM114 million in seized assets to Najib and the party.

He expressed uncertainty about the status of Najib's frozen assets and the lack of public information regarding any remaining frozen assets.