Malaysia government to seek gag order on ex-PM Najib house arrest bid

KUALA LUMPUR – Malaysia’s government is seeking to prevent public discourse on jailed former prime minister Najib Razak’s bid for house arrest, a week after his court victory led to political unease.

The government will apply for a gag order from the court that would prohibit even the Malaysian Parliament from discussing Najib’s attempt to serve the rest of his 1MDB-related prison sentence at his own residence.

According to Deputy Public Prosecutor Shamsul Bolhassan, the government will file an application by Jan 20.

Najib last week won a legal challenge that would

allow his case for house arrest to be heard in Malaysia’s High Court

.

He contends that Malaysia’s former king had decreed that he be detained at home, and is seeking a court order compelling the government to verify and execute the king’s wishes.

The former premier has been in prison since August 2022 for crimes related to state investment fund 1MDB.

Najib’s fate is a political headache for Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, who is torn between appeasing key ally Umno – which has long championed its former leader Najib’s freedom – and upholding his credentials as a reformist and anti-graft crusader among his core supporters.

Sultan Abdullah Ahmad Shah, Malaysia’s former king, had already

halved Najib’s 12-year prison sentence

and reduced his fine in January 2024, prompting Datuk Seri Anwar to call for public calm.

It was one of the monarch’s last acts before handing over duties to Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar of Johor state, as part of Malaysia’s unique rotational monarchy system.

The opposition has demanded a public explanation from Mr Anwar, who for months refrained from confirming that the addendum order existed.

A minister from Umno separately urged the party not to speculate over the matter, and has denied conspiring to hide the house arrest order.

The house arrest order did not come up during the Pardons Board meeting that the former king chaired in 2024, Mr Anwar said in a video of a speech uploaded to his YouTube page on Aug 12.

Instead, the

addendum order was sent straight to the attorney-general

, who presented it to the national palace upon the change in royal rulers, he said.

“Any final decision is made by the king, but it has to be made within the Pardons Board meeting,” Mr Anwar said. “Not outside,” he added.

“Let’s move on. What’s the problem here, why be divided?” he said, adding that he had previously refrained from commenting on the matter as it involved the royals.

Malaysia’s national palace on Jan 3 said any clemency bids for crimes committed in Malaysian federal territories must go through the Pardons Board chaired by Sultan Ibrahim.

Malaysia’s High Court will next meet on March 11 for Najib’s case management. BLOOMBERG