Malaysia Delays Former Prime Minister Najib Razak House Arrest

Malaysia delayed the transfer of jailed former Prime Minister Najib Razak to house arrest on Friday after the attorney-general requested a temporary suspension to clarify the terms of his royal pardon.

The intervention occurred hours after the United Malays National Organisation announced that it had paid a 50-million-ringgit fine required for the conditional pardon granted in September by Malaysia's king, Sultan Ibrahim.

The legal dispute highlights ongoing political tensions surrounding accountability for high-level corruption and the limits of executive clemency within the country.

“The total funds raised through the Najib Razak Solidarity Fund launched on Sep 18 have reached the target amount and are sufficient,” said Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki, the party secretary-general, in a statement.

The attorney-general’s office stated that it sought the suspension to address legal uncertainties regarding the pardon and subsequent court orders.

The attorney-general emphasized that the legal review does not challenge the royal decree, according to reports.

Najib’s legal team rejected the delay and asserted that the process of releasing him into house arrest was already underway when the announcement was made.

“We view the AGC statement as a disregard of His Majesty’s order,” said Najib's legal team in a statement.

Civil society organizations urged the government to publicly disclose standard operating procedures and meeting minutes related to the house arrest to maintain public trust.

Sultan Ibrahim cautioned against any attempts to contest the conditional pardon, warning that such opposition could amount to defying his decree.

Uncertainty remains over when authorities will resolve the legal questions and whether Najib will leave prison before completing his full sentence.