'Follow King's order, transfer Najib to house arrest,' lawyer says

Istana Negara, the Malaysian royal palace, has confirmed that Sultan Ibrahim's decree allowing former Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak to serve his remaining prison sentence under house arrest is a clear and unambiguous decision, one that must be respected. In a statement released today, the palace emphasized that all conditions attached to the conditional pardon have been met.

The palace stated that any attempt to challenge the order would be considered a breach of the King's decree. This comes after the Attorney General's Chambers (AGC) requested a temporary suspension of the house arrest transfer from Kajang Prison pending clarification of legal matters surrounding the royal pardon.

The Federal Territories Pardons Board, comprising the Federal Territories minister and the Attorney General, deliberated on Najib's petition on September 18. According to Article 42 of the Federal Constitution, the King subsequently issued the order for Najib to complete his prison term under house arrest, contingent on a RM50 million fine.

The palace made it clear in their statement that the conditional pardon order is distinct from any other legal issues Najib may face. They also underscored the significance of the royal prerogative of pardon, as outlined in Article 42 of the Constitution, and stressed the importance of respecting its authority in line with the constitutional monarchy's principles and the rule of law.

In a related matter, Umno recently paid Najib's RM50 million fine, and Kuala Lumpur High Court subsequently issued an order enabling him to serve the remainder of his sentence under house arrest. However, the AGC has sought a temporary halt in the implementation of the order to resolve legal uncertainties. The AGC raised concerns about the potential interpretations of the fine payment's extent and its implications on Najib's concurrent 15-year prison sentence in the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) case.

Najib, currently 73, has been incarcerated since August 2022 after being convicted over the misappropriation of RM42 million from SRC International, a former subsidiary of 1MDB. Initially sentenced to 12 years in prison, his term was reduced to six years and the fine was reduced from RM210 million to RM50 million following a royal pardon in 2024. He is also appealing a separate 15-year prison sentence imposed in the 1MDB corruption case, which is to commence after the completion of his SRC International prison term.