Pendedahan SOP tahanan rumah akan perjelas ketidakpastian, kata peguam

Ex-PM Najib Razak will serve the remainder of his prison sentence for the SRC International case under house arrest at his Langkawi Duta residence. The SOP outlining the procedures for Najib's house arrest aims to clarify uncertainties and serve as a guide for future management, according to attorney Naran Singh. The implementation of house arrest for Najib raises concerns about whether he will be allowed to use a laptop, have internet access, receive visitors, or retain personal security staff given the residence is now considered a prison.

"We will only know when the SOP is made public," Singh told FMT. If Najib's Langkawi Duta home is deemed a prison, he should remain there alone. Attorney Kitson Foong suggested making the SOP a subsidiary ordinance and published in writing to provide legal strength to the regulation and benefit the government and the Attorney-General's Chambers.

He proposed ratifying the procedure to give it legal force and help the government avoid accusations of granting special privileges. Foong emphasized that revealing the SOP would not infringe on Najib's privacy since the public doesn't need to know his daily schedule, security measures, or visitor list. Zaid Malek noted that the SOP could also help curb speculation about Najib's house arrest.

"If you don't want the public to make speculation, they need to be given information. Is he truly a convict or just living at home without permission to leave?" The SOP will clarify whether he is granted privileges not available to other convicts. For now, speculation remains. The SOP comes at a time when the government is moving towards enacting the Freedom of Information Act.

Najib returned to his Kuala Lumpur residence on Tuesday to serve the remaining prison term for SRC International, which involved charges of misuse of power, criminal breach of trust, and embezzlement of SRC International's RM42 million. He was sentenced to 12 years and fined RM210 million. In January 2024, the then-Ruler, Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah, reduced Najib's prison sentence by half and lowered his fine to RM50 million through royal pardon.

In September, Sultan Ibrahim pardoned Najib again, allowing him to serve the remaining prison term under house arrest until August 23, 2028, in exchange for a RM50 million conditional pardon. The Minister of Domestic Affairs, Saifuddin Nasution Ismail, is expected to explain the house arrest issue, including its conditions, in Parliament today.