December 22, 2025 | 11:14 am
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Malaysian High Court has rejected a plea from former Prime Minister Najib Razak to serve the remainder of his corruption sentence under house arrest. As reported by Al Jazeera, the judge stated that the government document permitting this move was invalid as it was not executed properly.
The decision on Monday, December 22, 2025, dealt another blow to Najib, who has been in prison since August 2022 for his role in the multi-billion-dollar 1MDB scandal.
According to CNA, the ruling means the 72-year-old man will continue serving his prison sentence at Kajang Prison in Selangor.
Najib has been seeking to enforce the Malaysian authorities to confirm the existence and execution of a government order issued last year, which he claimed was part of a royal pardon allowing him to serve the remainder of his sentence at home.
High Court Judge Alice Loke stated that the existence of the order was not disputed, but the former king should have consulted the national pardon board before issuing the order for Najib to serve house arrest.
Judge Alice Loke's decision marks the latest development in Najib's legal bid for house arrest, which began in April 2024. The defense team has indicated they will appeal.
Najib began serving his prison sentence in August 2022 after being found guilty on three counts of criminal breach of trust, three counts of money laundering, and one count of abuse of power by the High Court in July 2020.
The charges involved the transfer of RM42 million from SRC International, a former subsidiary of 1Malaysia Development Berhad - a state investment fund set up by Najib in 2009 - to his personal bank accounts in 2014-2015.
Najib served as prime minister from 2009-2018.
He was sentenced to 12 years in prison and fined RM210 million. However, the then Malaysian king, Sultan Abdullah Ri'ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah, reduced the sentence to six years in prison and a RM50 million fine just before abdicating on January 30, 2024.
The Pardon Board, led by the king, announced the sentence reduction on February 2 last year.
ADDENDUM CLAIM
Najib sought legal action to obtain house arrest in April last year following the Pardon Board's decision to halve his prison sentence. He insists that the board's decision was accompanied by an additional order or addendum issued by the king allowing him to serve the remainder of his sentence at home.
This case was initially dismissed by the High Court in July last year, before being overturned by the Court of Appeal in a 2-1 decision in January this year.
The Federal Court, Malaysia's highest court, later upheld the Court of Appeal's decision, and the High Court in Kuala Lumpur was directed to hear the case.
The previous High Court decision was scheduled for January 5, 2026. However, last month, the court granted Najib's lawyers' request to bring forward the date to December 22.
The house arrest case has sparked intrigue in Malaysia, with several government authorities, including Pardon Board members, denying knowledge of the government document for months, although the office of the former king confirmed the issuance of the document.
Najib and the former king's palace claim the document exists. Najib's legal team has accused the authorities of neglecting the document.
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim stated in January that the government did not conceal any document. He added that the document was sent to the Attorney General and not to him or other members of the Pardon Board.
Separately, the court will also deliver its verdict in another case involving Najib on Friday, December 26. He faces four charges of abuse of power and 21 money laundering charges related to illegal transfers totaling over RM2.2 billion from 1MDB. Najib has denied the allegations.
Najib's legal journey continues to be closely watched in Malaysia, where the former leader, who is said to harbor hopes of a political comeback, continues to divide public opinion. Najib, the former president of UMNO, maintains significant influence in the party, which is part of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim's governing coalition.
Read: Malaysia's Anwar Consults Cambodia, Thailand Ahead of ASEAN Talks
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