Istana Negara says King’s order on Najib’s house arrest is clear, must be respected

Istana Negara has affirmed that His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim's recent decision to allow former Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak to complete his remaining prison sentence under house arrest is both clear and unambiguous. The royal prerogative of pardon, as enshrined in Article 42 of the Federal Constitution, must be upheld. The palace declared that all conditions attached to the conditional pardon have been met, stating that any attempts to challenge the order would constitute disobeying the King's decree.

Following the call from the Attorney General's Chambers (AGC) yesterday, requesting a temporary deferral of Najib's transfer from Kajang Prison to house arrest for clarification of legal questions, Istana Negara explained that the Federal Territories Pardons Board had examined Najib's petition on September 18 under the aforementioned constitutional article.

The board then provided advice to the Sultan, which led to the King's decree that Najib should serve the remainder of his prison term under house arrest, contingent upon a RM50 million fine. The palace reiterated that this order is explicit and unrelated to any other legal proceedings against Najib, emphasizing the need for clarity and certainty about its implementation.

They also stressed that the power of pardon is a royal prerogative, to be respected within the framework of the constitutional monarchy and the rule of law. Upon fulfillment of all conditions in the conditional pardon order, any attempts to challenge it would be seen as defiance of the King's decree. The AGC's request for a temporary deferment stems from arising legal interpretations regarding the fine payment's impact on Najib's SRC International prison term and his separate 15-year prison sentence in the 1MDB case.

The AGC clarified that the call for temporary deferment was not intended to contest or nullify the King's decree but rather to ensure compliance with the law. Meanwhile, 73-year-old Najib, convicted for the misappropriation of SRC International's funds, has been incarcerated since August 2022. His original 12-year sentence was reduced to six years, and the fine was capped at RM50 million after a royal pardon in 2024.

He is currently appealing his additional 15-year sentence for the 1MDB corruption case, which is to commence post-completion of his SRC International term. The High Court dismissed his request to suspend the execution of the 1MDB sentence on October 14.