Najib's Langgak Duta home quiet amid house arrest delay

KUALA LUMPUR: The former prime minister's residence in Jalan Langgak Duta remained quiet this morning despite ongoing discussions about his house arrest. No vehicles entered or left the property during a two-hour observation starting at 8am. Media personnel witnessed this, though some had already departed. This scenario follows a statement from the Attorney-General's Chambers indicating a temporary suspension of Najib's house arrest to clarify legal matters surrounding his conditional pardon. The suspension aims to ensure compliance with the pardon and court orders.

Najib's legal team, Shafee & Co, contested the suspension, arguing that all conditions of the pardon had been met. They insisted that the fine was paid and the court order issued, thus warranting Najib's release from Kajang Prison. The lawyers also requested the Prisons Department to expedite the house arrest implementation and urged the Attorney-General to retract the suspension statement.

Najib, 73, settled a RM50 million fine in the SRC International Sdn Bhd case through funds collected by the Najib Razak Solidarity Fund. Umno secretary-general Datuk Dr Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki confirmed this payment at the Kuala Lumpur High Court. Najib's legal counsel, Muhammad Farhan Muhammad Shafee, later confirmed the issuance of a house arrest order after the fine payment. He stated that further processes needed completion before the order could be delivered to Kajang Prison.

In related news, Najib's home was also officially designated as a prison under Section 3 of the Prisons Act 1995, effective yesterday. This gazettement applies to the building and surrounding 4,558.975 square meters of land.