Malaysian court clears way for former prime minister Najib Razak to serve rest of his prison term at home

Malaysia’s High Court has issued a new order allowing former Prime Minister Najib Razak to serve the rest of his first corruption sentence under house arrest. The order ends a four-day legal standoff over his release from prison.

High Court Judge Aslam Zainuddin directed the court registrar on 10 November 2026 to issue a new warrant of release.

He did so after hearing submissions from Najib’s lawyers and deputy public prosecutors that afternoon.

The order took effect immediately.

Najib is to serve his house arrest at his residence in Langgak Duta, Kuala Lumpur.

Following the ruling, Transport Minister Anthony Loke resigned from the Cabinet with immediate effect, citing the court’s decision to allow Najib to serve his sentence at home.

Loke said in a statement that the move was in line with the position he had announced on 6 November, and upheld “the principles and position” he had set out earlier.

Judge Aslam said the new order simply cancelled the earlier release order and replaced it with one allowing Najib to serve the remaining sentence from that conviction at home.

Najib, 73, attended the hearing in a light blue baju melayu, a traditional Malay tunic, with its sleeves rolled up. He was accompanied by his daughter, Najwa, who wore a blue floral baju kurung.

Prosecutors sought a fresh order in line with the King’s royal pardon

Najib had been expected to leave Kajang Prison, near the capital Kuala Lumpur, on 6 November 2026 and serve the final two years of his sentence at home.

His lawyers said the RM50 million (about US$12.3 million) fine required under his conditional pardon had been paid.

The sum was paid on 6 November by the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO), Najib’s political party, which raised the money through a public fund.

However, the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) stepped in at the last minute and postponed his transfer to house arrest. It said it needed clarification because the court order of 6 November was unclear and possibly defective.

Earlier on 10 November, Malaysia’s state news agency Bernama reported that the AGC had applied to the High Court to review the discharge order issued on 6 November.

Bernama quoted Attorney-General Mohd Dusuki Mokhtar as saying the AGC was seeking “a fresh order in line with the conditional pardon granted by the King”.

Later that day, Bernama reported that the High Court had cleared the way for Najib to begin his house arrest.

Malaysia’s King warned challenges to his order could amount to defiance

Malaysia’s King, Sultan Ibrahim, granted Najib the conditional pardon on 18 September 2026. It allows him to serve the rest of his sentence under house arrest until 23 August 2028, subject to the fine being paid and other conditions.

Sultan Ibrahim has warned that any attempt to challenge his order allowing Najib to leave prison and move to house arrest could amount to defiance of his royal decree.

UMNO says it is ready to disclose details of the RM50 million fund

UMNO president Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, who also chairs the Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition, said on 10 November that the party was ready to disclose full details of the money raised to pay Najib’s fine.

The RM50 million was collected through the Najib Razak Solidarity Fund, set up by UMNO’s headquarters. Ahmad Zahid said the fund had closed after meeting its target, with donations from party members and the wider public.

He said UMNO had received guidelines from the relevant authorities and followed them fully. The money was passed on only after it had been deposited in an account held in trust by UMNO’s headquarters.

Speaking to reporters in Melaka, Ahmad Zahid also said UMNO did not want any “delay tactic” to hold up the pardon. He noted that the King’s power to pardon is set out in Article 42 of the Federal Constitution.

Najib’s first conviction is linked to the multibillion-dollar 1MDB case

Najib, who was prime minister from 2009 to 2018, was jailed in connection with a multibillion-dollar scandal at the state investment fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB).

In July 2020, he was sentenced to 12 years in prison and fined RM210 million (about US$51.5 million). He was convicted on three counts of criminal breach of trust, three of money laundering and one of abuse of power.

The charges concerned the transfer of RM42 million (about US$10.3 million) into his personal bank accounts in 2014 and 2015. The money came from SRC International, a former subsidiary of 1MDB.

He began serving his sentence at Kajang Prison on 23 August 2022, after the Federal Court, Malaysia’s highest court, upheld his conviction.

In January 2024, a partial royal pardon halved his prison term and reduced his fine to RM50 million.

Najib has maintained that the then King, Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah, issued an addendum order allowing him to serve the rest of that sentence under house arrest.

A separate 15-year sentence in the main 1MDB case is due in August 2028

The house arrest order applies only to Najib’s first conviction. He also faces a separate prison term in the main 1MDB case.

On 26 December 2025, then High Court judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah found Najib guilty of four counts of abuse of power and 21 counts of money laundering in that case.

The court sentenced him to 15 years in prison, due to begin in August 2028 once his SRC International term ends. It also fined him RM11.38 billion (about US$2.79 billion).

The court also ordered him to pay about RM2.08 billion (about US$510 million) as a recoverable sum. Each abuse-of-power charge carries an extra 10-year prison term if its fine is not paid.

Najib’s lawyers filed an appeal against that conviction on 29 December 2025.