A former prime minister who once stood at the center of Malaysia's public life is nearing the next stage of a long fall and partial reprieve. His party has settled a 50 million ringgit fine, the condition that opened the door to a royal pardon, and so the years he has spent behind bars over the 1MDB scandal may soon give way to confinement in his own home. Nothing yet fixes the day the gates will open, and in that silence the city waits, as cities do when power is about to change its shape.
Najib Razak Set for House Arrest After UMNO Pays 50 Million Ringgit Pardon Fine
The road to his home was closed; the fine was paid; the date is still unknown.
Mark
So what actually changed on Friday?
Mimi
The fine got paid. UMNO says it handed 50 million ringgit, about USD 12.3 million, to the High Court, which meets a major condition of the king's pardon.
Mark
And that pardon came in September?
Mimi
Yes. It let Najib serve the rest of his corruption sentence under house arrest instead of in prison, where he has been since August 2022.
Luke
Careful with the word 'set.' The report says he is 'expected' to move. Nobody has confirmed a date.
Mark
Right, so what do we know about timing?
Mimi
Only that authorities haven't said. But police were posted outside his Kuala Lumpur home early Friday and the road was closed.
Luke
The police deployment is an observation, not an explanation. The article doesn't say officials linked it to a transfer.
Mark
Why does it matter that the party paid, not Najib himself?
Mimi
It's notable that UMNO says it raised the money through a fundraising campaign to support him. That's the party's own account.
Luke
Right, and the report doesn't break down who gave how much, so how the campaign worked is unknown. Also, we haven't seen the full pardon terms, only that the fine was one of the major conditions.
El Pulso
- UMNO raised 50 million ringgit through a fundraising drive and paid the fine at the High Court, clearing a key condition of the pardon.
- Police took up positions outside Najib Razak's Kuala Lumpur home and closed the road leading to it, signaling that something is imminent.
- Najib, 73, has been jailed since August 2022 over a 1MDB corruption conviction, and the royal clemency now lets him serve the rest at home.
- No authority has named a date for his transfer, leaving the move from prison hanging in an uncertain window.
- The next decisive moment will be the official announcement of the transfer and the terms of his house arrest.
A former prime minister who once stood at the center of Malaysia's public life is nearing the next stage of a long fall and partial reprieve. His party has settled a 50 million ringgit fine, the condition that opened the door to a royal pardon, and so the years he has spent behind bars over the 1MDB scandal may soon give way to confinement in his own home. Nothing yet fixes the day the gates will open, and in that silence the city waits, as cities do when power is about to change its shape.
Early Friday, police officers took positions outside the Kuala Lumpur home of Najib Razak, and the road to his door was closed to traffic. The gathering of uniforms carried a message before any official word: the former prime minister, now 73, is expected to leave prison for house arrest.
The key to the move is money. According to AP, whose reporting the Times of India drew on, his party, the United Malays National Organisation, paid a fine of 50 million ringgit, roughly USD 12.3 million. UMNO's secretary-general, Asyraf Wajid Dusuki, said the sum had been raised through a campaign to support Najib and was paid at the High Court that day. The payment satisfied one of the major conditions attached to a royal pardon from the king.
Najib has been behind bars since August 2022, when the top court upheld his conviction in a case tied to the 1MDB state investment fund scandal. In September the king granted rare clemency, allowing him to serve the rest of his sentence at home. With the fine paid, the path is open, though the move is still described as expected rather than complete.
What remains unknown is the timing. Authorities have not said when he will leave prison for his residence. The police presence and the closed road suggest preparations are underway, but no timetable has been published. The next thing to watch is the announcement of the transfer and the terms under which he will serve the remainder of his sentence.
Early on Friday, police officers took up positions outside the Kuala Lumpur home of Najib Razak, and the road leading to the property was shut to traffic. The deployment came as word spread that Malaysia's former prime minister, 73, is expected to be moved out of prison and into house arrest.
The reason is money. According to AP, whose reporting the Times of India relied on, Najib's political party, the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO), paid a fine of 50 million ringgit, about USD 12.3 million. The payment satisfied a key condition attached to a royal pardon he received from Malaysia's king.
UMNO's secretary-general, Asyraf Wajid Dusuki, announced the payment in a statement. He said the party had raised the required sum through a fundraising campaign to support Najib, and that it completed the payment at the High Court earlier on Friday.
Najib has been in prison since August 2022, when Malaysia's top court upheld his conviction in a case tied to the multibillion-dollar scandal at the state investment fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad, known as 1MDB. In September, the king granted him a rare royal clemency. Under it, he can serve the rest of his corruption sentence at home rather than behind bars.
The pardon came with conditions, and the fine was one of the major ones. With it paid, the way is cleared for the transfer, though the source describes it as expected rather than done.
What remains unstated is when it will happen. Authorities have not said when Najib will leave prison for his residence. The police presence and the closed road outside his Kuala Lumpur home suggest preparations are under way, but no official timetable has been given.
The next thing to watch is the announcement of the transfer itself: when Najib is moved, and what authorities say about the terms under which he will serve the remainder of his sentence at home.
Citas Notables
The party said it raised the required amount through a fundraising campaign to support Najib and completed payment of the fine at the High Court on Friday.— Asyraf Wajid Dusuki, UMNO secretary-general (paraphrased)
Quieres la nota completa?
Lee el original en Times of India ↗
Crime & Justice