Malaysia’s PM Anwar calls for respect, patience after Najib’s house arrest bid denied

KUALA LUMPUR - Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has called on those who do not feel sympathy for former prime minister Najib Razak and his family to refrain from actions that could exacerbate the situation, following the High Court’s decision to

reject Najib’s application

to serve the remainder of his prison sentence under house arrest.

Datuk Seri Anwar emphasised that it was inappropriate to escalate tensions during this sensitive time and urged all parties to respond with patience and wisdom.

“The High Court’s decision must be respected. The Madani government is firmly committed to upholding the rule of law and the separation of powers,” he stated in a statement on Dec 23.

Mr Anwar further expressed respect for the judge’s decision, grounded in the principle of the sovereignty of the law.

“All parties should respect the judge’s ruling, including the legal options available for appeal, as well as the possibility of seeking a pardon from the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, in accordance with existing legal provisions,” he added.

The court found that the royal addendum order on which Najib relied was constitutionally invalid.

High Court Justice Alice Loke ruled that deliberation by the Pardons Board was crucial under Article 42 of the Federal Constitution.

She noted that the addendum order was neither deliberated nor decided at the 61st Pardons Board meeting held on Jan 29, 2024.

This addendum order had been the basis for Najib’s judicial review application seeking approval to serve the remainder of his sentence at home in the SRC International case.

Currently, Najib is serving a prison sentence after being found guilty by the High Court of abuse of power, criminal breach of trust, and money laundering involving RM42 million (S$13.3 million) siphoned from SRC International, a former subsidiary of state fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB).

In this high-profile case, Najib had exhausted all avenues of appeal to overturn his conviction and sentence and had therefore applied for a royal pardon.

On April 1, 2024, Najib filed an application for leave for judicial review, claiming that a royal addendum order would have permitted him to serve his prison time under house arrest.

On Feb 2, 2025, the Pardons Board announced that Najib’s original 12-year jail sentence and RM210 million fine had been reduced to six years’ imprisonment and an RM50 million fine.

According to the board’s statement, Najib was scheduled to be released on Aug 23, 2028.

On Dec 26, the court will also decide whether to convict Najib of four additional charges of corruption and 21 counts of money laundering over the illegal transfer of about RM2.2 billion from 1MDB.

If found guilty, he could face a maximum of 20 years’ imprisonment on each charge, as well as a fine of up to five times the value of the alleged misappropriations. THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK