Malaysia: Jailed ex-leader Najib to leave prison for house arrest
Convicted in the 1MDB scandal for embezzling millions, jailed former Prime Minister Najib Razak will serve his prison term under house arrest after his party had collected donations to pay his fine.
Former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak, convicted of corruption, is set to leave prison and begin serving his six-year sentence under house arrest, according to a statement from his political party. The United Malays National Organization (UMNO) collected a 50 million ringgit ($12.3 million, €11 million) fine through a donation drive.
Najib, 73, has been in prison since 2022 for his role in the 1MDB corruption scandal. In September 2020, Najib received royal clemency from the Malaysian king, Sultan Ibrahim, to serve the remainder of his sentence under house arrest, but only for the first trial. The second trial, which resulted in a 15-year prison sentence in December 2025, is ongoing.
Najib is appealing that conviction. If unsuccessful, he may return to prison after August 23, 2028. Despite the scandal, Najib remains politically influential within his party, which is part of the current government.
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