Najib files bid to serve prison sentence under house arrest

KUALA LUMPUR: Former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak has filed a judicial review application in a bid to serve the remainder of his prison sentence under house arrest.

He claimed that there was an addendum order by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong in the royal pardon granted to him on Jan 29, whereby he was allowed to serve his prison sentence under house arrest.

The application was filed through law firm Messrs Shafee & Co on Monday (April 1).

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Najib named the Home Minister, the Commissioner General of Prisons, the Attorney General, the Federal Territories Pardons Board, the Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Law and Institutional Reform), director general of legal affairs at the Prime Minister's Department and the government as the first to seventh respondents respectively.

In the notice of application downloaded through the court's efiling system, Najib is seeking a mandamus order for all or one of the respondents to answer and verify the existence of the addendum order dated Jan 29.

Najib is seeking a mandamus order where if the addendum order exists, all or one of the respondents must execute the Royal order and immediately move him from the Kajang Prison to his residence in Kuala Lumpur where he would serve his remaining sentence under house arrest.

The former Pekan MP is also seeking a mandamus order for all or one of the respondents to give a copy of the royal decree by the 16th Yang di-Pertuan Agong on the reduction of his prison sentence and fine and the addendum order, both dated Jan 29.

Najib also seeks costs and other reliefs deemd fit by the court.

In an affidavit he affirmed on Monday, Najib said he had informed Al-Sultan Abdullah Riayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah via a copy of a letter on March 25 of his intention to file the notice of application for a judicial review against the relevant authorities regarding the addendum.

He said this was because on Jan 29, Al-Sultan Abdullah was the reigning Yang di-Pertuan Agong.

On March 25, Najib said he had also informed His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia of his intention regarding the judicial review.

Najib added that he would not attach the letters to the Rulers as exhibits in the application due to secrecy and appropriateness.

He said his application was bona fide (in good faith) and he was affected badly and had filed a notice of urgency for the application to be heard before Hari Raya Aidilfitri, which is expected to fall on April 10.

The hearing for Najib's application has been fixed for Thursday (April 4) before High Court judge Justice Amarjeet Singh.

Najib was initially sentenced to a 12-year imprisonment after being found guilty of abuse of power, criminal breach of trust and money laundering in relation to RM42mil that had been siphoned from SRC International, a former 1MBD subsidiary.

He was also fined RM210mil.

Following the royal pardon he received, Najib's jail term was reduced from 12 years to six.

This means that Najib will be released on Aug 23, 2028.

The fine imposed on him was also reduced to RM50mil from RM210mil.

He is currently serving his jail sentence at the Kajang Prison.