Malaysia’s king grants Najib house arrest

Malaysia’s King Sultan Ibrahim has approved a conditional pardon allowing former prime minister Najib Razak to serve the remainder of his prison sentence under house arrest, the government said on Friday.

The decision comes four years after Najib was convicted in connection with the multibillion-dollar 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) scandal.

According to the prime minister’s legal department, the King has permitted Najib to serve his remaining sentence at home until August 23, 2028. Najib has consistently denied wrongdoing and has maintained that he was made a scapegoat for a wider financial scheme.

The 73-year-old former premier served as Malaysia’s prime minister from 2009 to 2018. He was convicted of corruption linked to the alleged diversion of billions of dollars from 1MDB, a state investment fund established during his tenure.

US investigators have said as much as $4.5 billion was allegedly misappropriated from the fund, with more than $1 billion reportedly ending up in accounts linked to Najib.

The latest decision marks the second royal pardon granted to Najib. In 2024, the previous King reduced his 12-year prison sentence by half and lowered the financial penalties imposed on him.

Najib had argued that the earlier decision also allowed him to serve his sentence under house arrest. However, his legal efforts to secure the arrangement were unsuccessful at the time.

The former premier is also serving a sentence related to another 1MDB-linked case. In December last year, he was sentenced to 15 years in prison and fined 2.8 billion dollars after being convicted of abuse of power and money laundering. He has appealed the verdict.

Najib remains an influential and controversial figure within Malaysia’s United Malays National Organisation (UMNO), which is part of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s coalition government.

The latest pardon could add to tensions within the ruling alliance. Anwar’s Pakatan Harapan bloc has previously opposed leniency for Najib, while UMNO has continued to have strong political ties with the former premier.

The coalition was formed after the 2022 general election produced a hung parliament. Relations between the partners have since been strained by disagreements, including over Najib’s treatment.

Najib was also fined 50 million ringgit as a condition of the house arrest arrangement. It remained unclear when he would be transferred from prison to home detention.

Political scientist Syaza Shukri said the decision could strengthen UMNO’s position while creating additional political pressure for Anwar’s government.