Malaysia’s king, Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar, has granted a conditional pardon to former Prime Minister Najib Razak, allowing him to serve the rest of his prison sentence under house arrest, government officials confirmed on Friday. The decision is contingent on Najib paying a 50 million ringgit (approx. $10.6 million USD) fine related to his conviction in a case linked to the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) state fund.
Najib, 73, has been imprisoned since August 2022 after Malaysia’s highest court upheld his conviction. He was originally sentenced in 2020 to 12 years in prison and fined 210 million ringgit for abuse of power, criminal breach of trust, and money laundering. The charges stemmed from the illegal receipt of funds from SRC International, a former unit of 1MDB.
Investigators in Malaysia and several other countries have alleged that at least $4.5 billion was diverted from the 1MDB fund, which Najib established in 2009.
In early 2024, the country’s previous monarch, Sultan Abdullah Ahmad Shah, granted Najib a pardon that halved his prison sentence from 12 to six years and reduced his fine to 50 million ringgit. Following that decision, Najib’s legal team pursued house arrest, claiming a royal “addendum order” permitted him to serve his remaining term at home. The Kuala Lumpur High Court had previously rejected this legal bid. The new pardon from Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar was issued under powers granted to the king by Malaysia’s constitution.
The decision prompted reactions from civil society and government leaders. The civil society coalition G25 issued a statement saying it was “deeply shocked and dismayed” by the move. “This does nothing to strengthen public confidence in our criminal justice system. It is a travesty of justice,” the group stated.
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim urged the public to accept the king’s decision. According to The Associated Press, Anwar said, “I want to stress that the principle of the rule of law remains intact. Our commitment to taking action against all cases of corruption is not affected.”
Najib’s legal team released a statement acknowledging the condition of the pardon. The statement said that the former prime minister’s ability to pay the fine “does not lie in his own hands,” citing that many of his assets remain frozen due to ongoing legal cases. The lawyers stated that their client is “presently taking advice and considering his options.”
Following the announcement, Najib’s political party, the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO), created a “solidarity fund” to help raise money for the fine.
This pardon does not apply to a separate conviction against Najib. In that case, he was found guilty on 25 charges related to 1MDB funds and sentenced to a 15-year prison term, which is scheduled to begin after he completes his current sentence. Najib has appealed that verdict.
