KUALA LUMPUR: Former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak is finally serving the remainder of his prison sentence under house arrest.
High Court judge Justice Aslam Zainuddin set aside the earlier order issued by the High Court Criminal Registry on Nov 6 and issued a new order for the ex- Pekan MP.
Najib was escorted to his residence while riding inside a grey Proton X70 SUV at about 9.35pm last night.
The vehicle was part of a significant police escort of 10 vehicles led by two police motorcycles.
Najib’s arrival was met by brief rallying cries of “Bossku” by scores of his supporters waiting outside the police checkpoint.
The 73-year old was spotted being quickly escorted into his home by police officers that had been on standby outside over the last hour or so.
In delivering the ruling, Justice Aslam said he had reviewed the conditional pardon order, proof of full payment of the fine, the earlier order and other relevant documents.
“Accordingly, the court sets aside the Order of Discharge on Payment of Fine dated Nov 6, 2026, and substitutes it entirely with the order sought in this application.
“In line with the Conditional Pardon Order in the SRC International Sdn Bhd case, the accused shall serve the remaining six-year reduced prison sentence under house arrest at Jalan Langgak Duta, Taman Duta, until Aug 23, 2028,” he said.
Earlier, the Attorney General’s Chambers (AGC) had filed an application at the High Court to review the Nov 6 discharge order.
The AGC said that it was seeking a fresh order consistent with the conditional pardon granted by His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia on Sept 18.
The Nov 6 order allowed Najib to be released from prison upon payment of the RM50mil fine, with the remainder of his SRC International sentence to be served under house arrest until Aug 23, 2028.
The AGC’s latest move comes amid questions over the implementation of the royal pardon and how the SRC sentence would affect the commencement of his separate 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) jail term.
Several family members, including Najib’s daughter Nooryana Najwa, were also seen at the court.
Najib’s lawyer Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah said the High Court’s clarification had removed doubts over the house imprisonment order decreed by the King.
Muhammad Shafee said the hearing went smoothly and the court had issued a straightforward order to give effect to the royal pardon.
“The process of justice is what you go through the court.
“But when justice ends, that is when mercy takes over. When the process of pardon takes over, the court is excluded,” he said.
House imprisonment would still impose restrictions on Najib and he would not be allowed to leave the residence without special permission or a valid reason, he said.
“We have yet to be informed of the specific conditions governing the arrangement, which we expect would be communicated to Najib by prison authorities,” he said, adding that visitors would still need permission to meet the former prime minister.
Media personnel had been camping out near Najib’s home as well as outside Kajang Prison as early as 9am.
