On Friday evening, former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak was escorted back to Kajang Prison after completing a medical examination at Kuala Lumpur Hospital and paying the 50‑million‑ringgit fine imposed in the SRC International Sdn Bhd corruption case. The return followed the payment of the fine, which was one of the conditions of his conditional pardon, as reported by Xinhua.
Najib’s return to prison was confirmed by local media and documented by the courthouse notice that the court had issued a house‑arrest order for him. However, the Attorney General’s Chambers issued a statement in the afternoon that the implementation of that order had been temporarily deferred pending further legal clarification on his royal pardon. Consequently, Najib is to remain in his existing detention facility until any new orders are issued, the statement said.
Earlier on Friday, Najib’s special officer, Ahmad Lutfi Azhar, arrived at the Kuala Lumpur High Court’s criminal registry to arrange the payment and complete the administrative procedures required under the pardon. His lawyer, Farhan Shafee, confirmed that the court had indeed issued the house‑arrest directive. A vehicle suspected of carrying Najib was later seen leaving Kajang Prison, indicating the transfer attempt was not completed.
In September, the Prime Minister’s Department announced that Najib had received a conditional pardon, allowing him to serve the remainder of his sentence under house arrest, provided he met various conditions including the fine, according to Bernama. His 12‑year sentence had earlier been reduced to six years in 2024, and the fine had been cut from 210 million ringgit to 50 million ringgit.
Reuters reported that the Attorney General had postponed Najib’s transfer to house arrest on Friday in order to review the details of his royal pardon. The specific legal clarifications required were not detailed in the report, leaving the exact scope of the postponed order unclear.
Najib has been imprisoned since August 2022 over abuse of power related to SRC International, a former unit of the state investment fund 1MDB, and his case remains one of Malaysia’s most high‑profile corruption trials. The house‑arrest decision, while deferred, reflects the complex interplay between the pardon, the fine, and the Crown’s judicial review process.
Uncertainties remain regarding when and under what conditions Najib might ultimately be released under house arrest, what further legal guidance the Attorney General’s Chambers will provide, and whether the crown’s review will alter the current terms of his conditional pardon.