What Happens to Najib Razak Now? Malaysia Ex-PM Gets House Arrest but Faces Another 15-Year Sentence

Malaysia’s King Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar on Friday granted the jailed former Prime Minister Najib Razak a rare instance of royal clemency, enabling him to remain in prison but under house arrest.

The decision came after a meeting of the Federal Territories Pardons Board (FTPB), which had previously postponed Najib’s most recent clemency request a week earlier, the reports state.

It represents the first time that house arrest has been used as part of a royal pardon in Malaysia and brings into question the exercise of the royal power to grant pardons, the constitutional procedures, and Najib’s ongoing legal exposure.

Najib’s New House Arrest Terms Explained

Najib will be able to serve the rest of his sentence under house arrest until Aug. 23, 2028 on the condition that he pays a fine of 50 million ringgit.

The legal affairs division of the Prime Minister’s Department stated that the pardon was issued at the 64th meeting of the FTPB.

“Najib must comply with all the conditions imposed. If he breaches any of them, the conditional pardon will be revoked, and he must immediately return to prison to serve the remainder of his sentence,” the department said.

Before he was sent home under house arrest, Najib had to pay the 50 million ringgit fine, which was equivalent to around $12.3 million; the statement did not mention any other conditions that were imposed on him.

Najib, who was 73 years old, held the office of prime minister from 2009 until 2018; he was found guilty in relation to the misuse of money associated with SRC International, a former subsidiary of the state investment fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB).

Timeline of Najib’s Prison Sentence So Far

Najib started serving his sentence in August 2022 when Malaysia’s Federal Court dismissed his last appeal; he thus became the first former prime minister to be sent to prison.

In 2024, the Pardons Board lowered the sentence and the fine that had originally been imposed. He has been imprisoned at Kajang Prison in Selangor since then.

The argument was represented by Najib’s legal team that the former King, Sultan Abdullah Ahmad Shah, had issued in January 2024 a separate addendum which allowed him to serve his sentence under house arrest.

The High Court decided that the alleged house-arrest order couldn’t be enforced since the Pardons Board hadn’t mentioned or discussed it during its meeting in January 2024.

Najib withdrew his appeal concerning the alleged addendum and submitted a new clemency petition. The FTPB postponed the application until Sept. 11 before meeting again on Friday, the reports state.

Najib Faces Another Lengthy Prison Term

The clemency decision on Friday doesn’t settle the legal case which Najib has separately brought out of the wider 1MDB scandal.

In December 2025, the Kuala Lumpur High Court sentenced Najib to imprisonment for 21 counts of money-laundering and for four counts of abuse of power in connection with the transfer of funds amounting to 2.2 billion ringgit which were linked to 1MDB.

Justice Collin Lawrence Sequerah gave Najib a sentence of 15 years’ imprisonment for each charge of abuse of power and five years’ imprisonment for each charge of money laundering, the sentences being served at the same time.

The court also assessed a total fine of 11.4 billion ringgit, equivalent to $2.8 billion, in connection with the abuse-of-power charges and directed that an extra 2.08 billion ringgit, or about $514 million, be recovered through the application of money-laundering laws.

If Najib fails to pay the required amounts, he faces additional prison time. He is appealing the conviction and sentence.

At sentencing in December, Justice Sequerah stated, “I have taken into account the public interest and the need for deterrence, as well as the mitigating and aggravating factors raised by both sides.”

Najib’s lawyer Mohamed Shafee Abdullah said the judge “made so many blunders” and vowed to appeal.

The separate 15-year sentence is scheduled to take effect after Najib completes his existing sentence, subject to the outcome of his appeal and any further legal or clemency developments.

Pardon Decision Raises Constitutional Legal Questions

The Pardons Board’s decision comes amid political sensitivity surrounding Najib’s clemency applications.

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim was reportedly not informed in advance about the Sept. 11 meeting, according to Malaysian media reports citing sources familiar with the matter. Such reports should be distinguished from confirmed statements by Anwar or the government.

Anwar has previously said he would not intervene in Najib’s clemency process.

“I have advised the King that [he] must consider [this] as a process, as is the case of any other Malaysian citizen who appeals to the King,” Anwar said. “I give all possible facilities, so that he is being treated fairly, or at least comfortably, because prison is not a bed of roses.”

The decision also raises questions about the legal framework governing house arrest in Malaysia. Reports have noted that Malaysian law doesn’t contain a specific provision establishing house arrest as a general alternative to imprisonment.

The precise legal implications of the FTPB’s decision will depend on the terms of the conditional pardon and how Malaysian courts interpret the relevant constitutional and legal provisions.

1MDB Scandal Continues Across Multiple Jurisdictions

As a result of the 1MDB scandal, numerous countries have launched investigations and legal actions, and billions of dollars’ worth of funds have been involved.

Malaysian authorities and international investigators have pursued several people and organizations in relation to the scandal. Financier Jho Low, who has been identified by authorities as a central figure in the scheme, remains wanted.

The latest clemency changes the way he will serve his existing sentence but does not by itself dispose of his separate 15-year sentence. His legal position therefore remains dependent on the conditions of the house arrest, the payment requirements and the outcome of his appeal in the 1MDB-related case.