Najib to pay RM50m fine today?

Datuk Seri Najib Razak's chief legal representative, Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah, has refuted claims that the former prime minister has been paying his RM50 million fine today. He stated that he has not received any directives regarding the settlement and suggested that the news might have been fabricated by journalists. Shafee made his remarks during a press conference at the Kuala Lumpur Court Complex.

Paying the fine is a necessary step to activate the conditional pardon granted by Sultan Ibrahim, Malaysia's king, in September. The pardon allows the 73-year-old former premier to serve the remainder of his reduced prison term under house arrest until August 23, 2028, provided he complies with administrative requirements set by relevant authorities.

This lack of payment comes after Attorney General Tan Sri Mohd Dusuki Mokhtar stated on Sunday that the prosecution had not received any evidence of settlement. Dusuki clarified that while the royal pardon does not impose a strict deadline, Najib must continue to remain incarcerated at Kajang Prison as long as the fine remains unpaid.

The situation is further complicated by an ongoing crowdfunding effort led by Umno, Najib's political party, to assist him in fulfilling the fine. Umno's secretary-general, Datuk Seri Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki, admitted that the fundraising campaign has not yet reached the RM50 million required to settle the fine. Najib was incarcerated in August 2022 following the Federal Court's affirmation of his conviction for abuse of power, criminal breach of trust, and money laundering involving RM42 million from SRC International Sdn Bhd.

In January 2024, the Federal Territories Pardons Board reduced his sentence to six years and lowered the fine to RM50 million. He is currently contesting a December 2025 High Court conviction in the 1MDB corruption case, where he faces up to 15 years in prison and a RM11.4 billion fine.