KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) The High Court of Malaysia has dismissed former Prime Minister Najib Razak's appeal to serve the remainder of his graft sentence under house arrest. On Monday, the court ruled that a royal order from the former king was invalid because it did not comply with constitutional requirements.
Najib Razak, 72, is currently imprisoned following his conviction related to the infamous multibillion-dollar scandal involving the 1MDB state fund, which led to the fall of his government in 2018. His lawyer indicated plans to appeal the verdict, as Najib will now serve his remaining prison sentence, which was scheduled to conclude in August 2028. This sentence was previously reduced from 12 years after the Pardons Board halved it last year.
Najib was sentenced to 12 years in prison in 2020 after being found guilty of abuse of power, criminal breach of trust, and money laundering connected to 42 million ringgit (approximately $10.3 million) that was funneled into his personal bank accounts from SRC International, a former unit of the 1MDB fund. His incarceration began in August 2022 after he lost his final appeal, making him the first former leader in Malaysia to be jailed.
In April 2024, Najib filed an application claiming that then-King Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah had issued an addendum order permitting him to serve his sentence under house arrest. He alleged that this order was made during a pardons board meeting on January 29, 2024, which led to a reduction in his punishment and a significant cut in his fines. However, Judge Alice Loke stated that while the existence of the addendum order was acknowledged, the matter of house arrest was neither discussed nor raised at the board meeting. She emphasized that the king's prerogative of mercy must adhere to constitutional advice from the pardons board to prevent arbitrary decisions.
Consequently, the judge ruled that the house arrest was "not a valid order." Following the ruling, Najib displayed minimal emotion, even smiling when his lawyer described the outcome as "shocking" after the judge exited the courtroom.
Despite his convictions, Najib maintains significant influence within his political party, the United Malays National Organization (UMNO), which currently participates in Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim's unity government established after the 2022 elections. He continues to advocate his innocence, asserting that Malaysian financier Low Taek Jho deceived him. Low, widely regarded as the mastermind behind the scandal, remains at large.
In a separate matter, a second graft trial against Najib is ongoing, with the High Court expected to announce its verdict on four allegations of abuse of power aimed at procuring over $700 million from 1MDB and 21 counts of money laundering related to the same sum. If convicted, Najib faces a maximum of 20 years in prison for each abuse of power charge and up to five years for each money laundering charge.
The establishment of the 1MDB development fund occurred shortly after Najib assumed office in 2009. Investigators have alleged that around $4.5 billion was misappropriated from the fund and laundered through various international accounts and connections belonging to Najib and his affiliates. The illicit funds reportedly financed numerous extravagances, including Hollywood film productions and luxury items such as hotels, a high-end yacht, and expensive artwork.
The national scandal surrounding 1MDB incited widespread public outrage and directly contributed to the monumental electoral defeat of Najib's party, ending their governance since Malaysia's independence from Britain in 1957.
