King of Malaysia Decrees That Najib’s House Arrest Under Conditional Pardon Must Be Respected
Kuala Lumpur, The Gulf Observer: His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia, has decreed that the conditional pardon allowing former Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak to serve the remainder of his prison sentence under house arrest must be respected and implemented. He said this was in keeping with the principles of Constitutional Monarchy and the Rule of Law.
The royal decree was contained in a statement issued by Istana Negara on Saturday and shared on Sultan Ibrahim’s Facebook page. His Majesty said the decision, granted under the royal prerogative of pardon provided for in Article 42 of the Federal Constitution, must be implemented as decreed, without prolonged confusion or uncertainty.
King Says All Conditions for Najib’s House Arrest Fulfilled
His Majesty said he had ordered Najib to serve the remainder of his sentence under house arrest, on the condition that the RM50 million fine be paid. The order was granted after His Majesty received advice from the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Federal Territories), Hannah Yeoh, and Attorney-General Tan Sri Mohd Dusuki Mokhtar at the Pardons Board meeting for the Federal Territories of Kuala Lumpur, Labuan and Putrajaya on September 18.
“The royal prerogative of pardon is provided for under Article 42 of the Federal Constitution. The exercise of this power must be respected in keeping with the position of the Constitutional Monarchy and the principles of the Rule of Law,” His Majesty said.
“Since all conditions stipulated in the conditional pardon order have been fulfilled, any arguments disputing the order would amount to defying the decree of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong,” he added.
Sultan Ibrahim also stated that the conditional pardon order was clear, explicit and unambiguous, and was not related to any other cases involving Najib.
“There should be no room for differences in interpretation, nor should there be prolonged uncertainty over the implementation of a decision that has already received royal assent,” His Majesty said.
Attorney-General’s Chambers Had Deferred Najib’s House Arrest
The decree came a day after the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) announced that the implementation of Najib’s house arrest had been temporarily deferred. The AGC said further examination and clarification were needed on the interpretation of the Conditional Pardon Order and the implications of the Order of Discharge issued by the High Court on Friday, following settlement of the fine.
The AGC said the deferment was not intended to question or set aside the King’s decree. It described it as a measure to ensure that the decree and the related court order were implemented accurately, properly and in line with the applicable legal position. During the deferment, Najib would remain at his current place of detention, and further action would be taken once the clarification process was complete.
Najib’s special officer, Ahmad Lutfi Azhar, settled the RM50 million fine imposed in the SRC International case at the High Court Criminal Registry in Kuala Lumpur on Friday.
The conditional pardon granted on September 18 allows Najib to serve the remainder of his sentence under house arrest until August 23, 2028. An earlier partial royal pardon in 2024 had halved his original 12-year prison sentence and reduced his fine from RM210 million to RM50 million.
Najib, 73, has been serving his sentence at Kajang Prison since August 23, 2022, after being convicted of misappropriating RM42 million belonging to SRC International. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said in September that the conditional pardon does not weaken the government’s resolve to fight corruption, and that all corruption cases, including ongoing proceedings involving Najib, must continue in accordance with the law.
