Malaysia Halts Najib Razak House Arrest Transfer as Attorney General Seeks Clarification

Malaysia's Attorney-General's Chambers said on Friday that the implementation of former prime minister Najib Razak's house arrest should be temporarily suspended until further investigation and clarification are completed. The statement halted a transfer that a court had authorised the same day, and Najib remains at Kajang Prison while the legal position is examined.

The chambers said clarification is needed on a central question: whether payment of the fine attached to his pardon means Najib must keep serving his prison sentence under house arrest until August 23, 2028, or whether the sentence should be considered completed once the fine is paid. "In this regard, the implementation of house arrest should be temporarily suspended until further investigation and clarification are completed," the chambers said.

Fine paid, transfer ordered, then stopped

Najib's party, the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO), said on Friday that it had paid the 50 million ringgit ($12.32 million) fine required under the conditions of the pardon. UMNO secretary-general Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki said a Najib Razak Solidarity Fund was set up in September to receive public contributions toward the payment.

A Malaysian court issued an order on Friday allowing Najib's transfer home, and his lawyer said earlier that the plan was for the transfer to take place on Friday. The Attorney-General's Chambers then intervened. It said Najib should remain at his current place of detention during the deferment and that it would take further action once the scrutiny and clarification are completed.

The chambers stressed that the pause is not a challenge to the king's decision. "This temporary deferment is not intended to dispute or set aside the Yang di-Pertuan Agong's decree; rather, it is a measure to ensure that the decree and the related court orders are executed accurately, in an orderly manner and in line with the true legal position," it said.

Lawyers demand immediate release

Najib's lawyers, Messrs Shafee & Co, rejected the move. They said the Attorney General has no authority to suspend a royal pardon, that the 50 million ringgit fine was paid in full at the Kuala Lumpur High Court on November 6, and that the court issued sealed orders authorising his immediate discharge in relation to the fine. They demanded that he be transferred to house arrest without further delay.

"The Attorney General has no power of stay of His Majesty's royal prerogative of pardon," the firm said.

King Sultan Ibrahim agreed in September to allow Najib to serve the remainder of his sentence under house arrest, a second royal pardon over his conviction. The Conditional Pardon Order is dated September 18, 2026.

The cases behind the sentence

Najib, 73, was prime minister from 2009 to 2018. He has been held at Kajang Prison since August 23, 2022, after his conviction for misappropriating RM42 million belonging to SRC International. He was also found guilty of corruption in relation to the embezzlement of billions of dollars tied to 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), and he has consistently denied wrongdoing.

The Attorney-General's Chambers said the legal questions also affect Najib's separate 1MDB case, because that prison sentence was ordered to begin only after he completes the SRC International sentence. The High Court rejected his application to stay execution of the 1MDB sentence on October 14.