[UPDATED] Najib's house arrest should be suspended pending legal review, says A-GC

Loke Siew Fook confirmed that his position as Minister of Transport came with the authority to take over Najib Razak's role upon his return home. As the former Deputy Prime Minister, Najib was granted conditional release from Kajang Prison to stay at his home for medical checks. The DAP senior adviser was appointed to the Transport Ministry in 2022 and relinquished his position in September following Najib's conditional pardon.

The RM50 million fine payment was settled in the High Court earlier that morning, as reported by Loke during a media briefing. Upon Najib's arrival and stepping onto his property, his power would be transferred (to my appointment as Minister). Whether it's tonight, tomorrow, or the day after, his appointment would take effect. Loke plans to send an additional letter to the Prime Minister.

Even if Najib has left Kajang Prison, Minister of Home Affairs Saifuddin Nasution Ismail confirmed he was sent to a medical clinic for a scheduled check-up and has not returned home yet. Loke reiterated his commitment to sticking to his promise to relinquish the Minister position. According to him, the original letter of appointment has already been delivered and he discussed this matter with Deputy Prime Minister Zahid Hamidi after the Cabinet meeting.

Loke assured that all major initiatives under the Ministry of Transport will not be affected and will continue to be implemented by ministry staff, including the launch of MyKomuter KTMB before December, the operation of ERL on December 12, and the Rapid Transit System (RTS) Link project starting in February. Despite no longer being the Transport Minister, he remains a Member of Parliament and will continue to support and assist the ministry.

This development follows legal advice from Najib's lawyer, Farhan Shafee, that the High Court issued a home confinement order for his son, subject to payment of the RM50 million fine and compliance with other conditions. Umno previously stated that they had already paid the fine for Najib following a successful fundraising campaign conducted in September through a charity collection drive.

In 2022, the King of Malaysia, Sultan Ibrahim, granted Najib a conditional pardon, allowing him to serve the remainder of his prison sentence under home confinement until August 23, 2028, provided he pays the RM50 million fine and meets other requirements.