Court Grants Ex-Malaysian PM’s Plea to Serve Prison Term at Home

Former Malaysian Prime Minister, Najib Razak, who has been jailed for corruption, won an appeal on Monday that allows him to serve the remainder of his prison sentence under house arrest.

Najib had filed an application in April of the previous year, stating that he had received reliable information indicating that the then King, Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah, had issued an addendum order permitting him to complete his sentence at home. This order was reportedly issued during a pardons board meeting on January 29 of the same year, chaired by Sultan Abdullah, where Najib’s 12-year prison sentence was halved, and his fine was significantly reduced.

While the High Court dismissed his request three months later, the Court of Appeal ruled 2-1 in favor of Najib on Monday, ordering the High Court to review the case’s merits. The court’s decision was influenced by a letter from a Pahang state palace official confirming that the Sultan had indeed issued the order.

Najib’s lawyer, Mohamad Shafee Abdullah, expressed relief, stating that Najib was “very happy and very relieved” by the ruling, which he described as a recognition of the “injustice” previously faced by the former Prime Minister.