The High Court of Malaysia has rejected a request from former Prime Minister Najib Razak to complete his corruption sentence at home.
Najib’s legal team filed a surprise application on April 1, claiming that the former king had granted an order allowing Najib to serve the rest of his sentence under house arrest. They alleged that this order was part of an unpublished addendum to the royal pardon Najib received on January 29, which reduced his prison term and fine related to the 1MDB scandal.
The application accused several government entities of hiding the king’s order and requested the court to force the government to confirm its existence and enforce it. However, the court ruled that the supporting affidavits provided by Najib’s team were hearsay and lacked verification of the facts.
Najib’s lawyer expressed disappointment in the ruling and announced plans to appeal the decision. Najib was sentenced to 12 years in prison in 2020 for corruption charges related to the 1MDB scandal. He began serving his sentence in 2022.
The 1MDB scandal involved billions of dollars being siphoned from a state investment fund and laundered through various channels. The scandal led to Najib’s government’s defeat in the 2018 election and sparked investigations in multiple countries.
Despite the reduction in Najib’s sentence, there has been public outrage in Malaysia over the perceived preferential treatment of the wealthy and influential. Najib’s legal team continues to explore all avenues for appeal, and there are plans to file a new petition for a full pardon.