Malaysia Court Rejects Najib’s House Arrest Bid Ahead of Key 1MDB Verdict
GeokHub
Contributing Writer
KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 22 (GeokHub) A Malaysian court on Monday rejected a request by jailed former Prime Minister Najib Razak to serve the remainder of his sentence under house arrest, delivering the first of two pivotal rulings he faces this week in the long-running 1MDB corruption saga.
Najib, who has been imprisoned since 2022, argued that a former king had issued an additional royal order allowing him to complete his sentence at home, following a pardon last year that halved his original 12-year jail term.
While government officials had previously denied the existence of such an order, the Kuala Lumpur High Court said on Monday that the document did exist — but ruled it was not legally enforceable.
Court Says Royal Addendum Lacks Legal Standing
Judge Alice Loke said the so-called “addendum order” was invalid because it was not deliberated or approved by Malaysia’s pardons board, a constitutional requirement.
“The addendum order was not deliberated nor decided at the pardons board meeting,” the judge said, adding that royal clemency powers, while discretionary, are not unlimited under the constitution.
Najib’s legal team said he would appeal the decision, warning that the ruling could weaken the authority of Malaysia’s rulers to grant pardons.
Najib Faces Major 1MDB Verdict on December 26
The ruling comes just days before Najib faces a verdict in the largest remaining trial linked to the 1MDB state fund scandal, one of the world’s biggest financial fraud cases.
U.S. investigators say at least $4.5 billion was misappropriated from 1MDB after it was co-founded by Najib in 2009. Prosecutors allege more than $1 billion flowed into accounts linked to Najib.
He was convicted in 2020 on corruption and money laundering charges and became Malaysia’s first former prime minister to be jailed after exhausting all appeals.
On December 26, the court will rule on four corruption charges and 21 money laundering counts involving about 2.2 billion ringgit ($539 million). A conviction could see Najib sentenced to up to 20 years per charge, alongside heavy financial penalties.
Najib has consistently denied wrongdoing, saying he was misled by fugitive financier Jho Low and other 1MDB officials.
Political Pressure on Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim
Both rulings are being closely watched as a test of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s anti-corruption credentials and the stability of his ruling coalition.
Najib remains influential within the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO), which joined Anwar’s coalition government after the 2022 election produced a hung parliament.
UMNO youth leader Akmal Saleh criticised the house arrest ruling, calling on the party to leave the government and accusing authorities of undermining the powers of Malaysia’s rulers.
Anwar, who came to power pledging institutional reform, has faced criticism after prosecutors dropped several charges linked to Najib and abandoned an appeal involving Najib’s wife, Rosmah Mansor.
Anwar has said he does not interfere in court proceedings, though critics have long questioned the independence of Malaysia’s attorney general, who is appointed by the prime minister.
“It’s a test of the prosecution, the judiciary and political will,” said University of Nottingham Asia political analyst Bridget Welsh.
