Former Malaysia PM Najib Granted House Arrest After Paying $12.26M Fine

Former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak has been granted conditional house arrest until August 23, 2028, the Prime Minister's Office legal affairs division announced on Friday. The decision follows a conditional pardon by King Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar after the Federal Territories Pardons Board met at Istana Negara.

Najib must pay a fine of RM50 million (US$12.26 million) and comply with stipulated conditions to remain at his Langgak Duta residence. He is currently serving a six-year prison sentence linked to the 1MDB scandal.

“Should he fail to comply with any of these conditions, the conditional pardon will be revoked, and he will be required to immediately serve the remainder of his sentence in prison.”

If Najib violates any conditions, the pardon will be revoked and he must immediately return to prison to serve the remainder of his term. The fine is part of a sentence reduction granted by the previous king in January 2024.

The board deferred consideration of the application at its September 11 meeting before approving it a week later. Attorney-General Dusuki Mokhtar and Federal Territories Minister Hannah Yeoh attended the meeting presided over by the King.

Earlier on Thursday, documents circulating on social media claimed the pardon had already been granted. Minister Yeoh denied their legitimacy, stating she did not sign them and reporting the matter to authorities.