KUALA LUMPUR – Former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak, who is serving a 12-year sentence for his role in the 1MDB scandal, launched a renewed legal attempt on Dec 5 to serve the remainder of his sentence under house arrest. However, proceedings were adjourned to give prosecutors time to assess new evidence presented by Najib’s legal team.
Najib’s lawyers argue that an “addendum order” exists, allegedly issued by Malaysia’s former king alongside a pardons board decision in February 2023. This purported order, they claim, would allow Najib to serve his sentence at home after his prison term was halved to six years.
Najib’s son recently submitted an affidavit claiming he received a copy of the addendum from the royal household in Pahang, the home state of former King Sultan Abdullah Ahmad Shah. However, the document’s existence remains unclear, and the palace has made no public comment.
Najib’s lawyer, Muhammad Shafee Abdullah, declined to disclose details of the alleged document but stated that it contains explicit instructions for home detention. The Court of Appeal postponed further proceedings to allow prosecutors to evaluate the affidavit.
Najib, imprisoned in 2022, was convicted for misappropriating funds from 1MDB, with investigations revealing that over US$4.5 billion was siphoned from the state fund, including US$1 billion that allegedly flowed into accounts linked to him.
In February, the pardons board’s decision to halve Najib’s sentence and reduce his fines stirred public backlash in Malaysia. Recent government announcements of a planned 2025 law enabling house arrest for certain offenses have also fueled speculation that it could benefit Najib, though officials have denied this. Najib’s current release date is set for August 2028, following the sentence reduction.