Vehicles From Prison Department Enter Najib’s Home As House Arrest Preparations Begin
Two vehicles bearing the Prison Department logo arrived at the Kuala Lumpur residence of former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak on 19 September, less than 24 hours after the Pardons Board granted him a conditional pardon to serve the remainder of his sentence under house arrest.
The vehicles pulled up at the Jalan Langgak Duta property at about 9.45am, Malay Mail reported. Several plainclothes officers were seen speaking with Najib’s aide, Ahmad Lutfi Azhar, before walking along the front yard, perimeter fencing and surrounding grounds of the residence.
The officers appeared to conduct an assessment of the property’s suitability for house arrest, Malaysiakini reported, citing New Straits Times. They left at about 11.50am. Ahmad Lutfi declined to comment to reporters gathered outside the property.
A mobile police beat van was also stationed outside the residence. About a dozen journalists and photographers staked out the property from early morning, according to Malay Mail.
The visit followed the announcement on 18 September by the Legal Affairs Division of the Prime Minister’s Department that Najib had been granted a conditional pardon. The decision, made at the 64th meeting of the Pardons Board for the Federal Territories of Kuala Lumpur, Labuan and Putrajaya, was approved with the consent of His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia.
Under the terms of the pardon, Najib may serve the rest of his prison sentence at home until 23 August 2028, subject to the payment of a RM50 million fine and compliance with all conditions imposed under the clemency.
Attorney-General Dusuki Mokhtar said the conditional pardon applies only to the jail sentence imposed in Najib’s SRC International case. This means Najib may still face a return to prison, as he is appealing a separate 15-year sentence and an RM11.38 billion fine handed down by the Kuala Lumpur High Court in a 1MDB case last year.
Najib is serving his sentence over seven counts of criminal breach of trust, abuse of power and money laundering involving more than RM42 million belonging to SRC International. He was convicted on all charges by the High Court in July 2020 and began serving his jail term on 23 August 2022.
On 29 January 2024, the Pardons Board halved his original 12-year sentence to six years and reduced the RM210 million fine to RM50 million, bringing forward his scheduled release date to 23 August 2028.
