[UPDATED] Najib remains in Kajang Prison as house arrest transfer stalls, lawyers confirm

Former Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak continues to be held in Kajang Prison despite plans for his transfer to house arrest, according to his lawyers. Messrs Shafee & Co confirmed the situation, stating that Najib has not yet left the prison. The Attorney-General's Chambers (A-GC) had called for the transfer to be temporarily suspended, citing legal questions surrounding the conditional pardon and court orders.

Najib's lawyers argued that all conditions of his conditional royal pardon had been met following the payment of a RM50 million fine, and the Kuala Lumpur High Court had issued sealed orders authorising his discharge. However, the A-GC intervened, requesting a deferral of the house arrest implementation pending clarification of the legal issues. The chambers suggested that the payment of the fine could either settle only the fine or indicate the completion of the entire SRC International prison sentence.

The lawyers rejected the A-GC's explanation, asserting that there was no basis for delaying Najib's transfer. They emphasized that the proposed deferral was not meant to challenge the King's decree but to ensure the correct implementation of the pardon and related court orders. Najib was granted a conditional royal pardon by the Sultan of Malaysia on September 18, allowing him to serve the remainder of his sentence under house arrest, contingent upon payment of the fine and adherence to specified conditions.

He has been incarcerated since August 23, 2022, after being convicted of misappropriating RM42 million from SRC International.