Malaysia's attorney-general defends halting Najib's house arrest after king's rebuke

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia's attorney-general defended his decision to seek legal clarifications over ex-Prime Minister Najib Razak's house arrest order, rejecting accusations of treason after the palace insisted it must be implemented. The dispute marks a rare clash between the royal palace and the government's top legal office over enforcing a royal decree.

On Friday, the attorney general temporarily blocked Najib's transfer from prison to house arrest, requesting more legal clarification. However, the palace issued a public rebuke on Saturday, stating King Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar's pardon for Najib to allow house arrest was clear and must be respected. The palace warned any challenges would be seen as defying the royal command.

Najib spent 2022 imprisoned after Malaysia's top court affirmed his conviction from his first graft trial linked to the 1MDB scandal. In September, the king granted Najib clemency, enabling him to serve the remainder of his sentence under house arrest once he paid the court-imposed fine. The house arrest applies only to his reduced six-year sentence from the first trial, not the separate 15-year prison term imposed in December 2025 for corruption and money laundering in the second 1MDB-related trial. Najib is appealing that separate sentence.

The attorney general's office defended its handling of the house arrest order, stressing it was not challenging the royal pardon. The court sought clarification on the effect of the high court's discharge order after the fine was paid, determining whether it meant Najib had completed his first sentence or had time left to serve, affecting when his second sentence begins.

The office reiterated the judicial clarification was necessary for proper implementation according to the law. The attorney general insisted allegations of insult and treason against the king were baseless, stating seeking legal certainty through the courts was a responsible step to uphold justice.