Malaysia’s former Prime Minister Najib Razak is set to leave prison and serve the remainder of his reduced six-year sentence under house arrest after his political party, the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO), paid a 50 million ringgit ($12.3 million) fine required under the terms of his royal pardon.
UMNO announced on Friday, November 6, that it had completed payment of the fine to the Kuala Lumpur High Court after raising the money through a fundraising initiative dubbed the Najib Razak Solidarity Fund.
In a statement, UMNO Secretary-General Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki confirmed that the fundraising campaign had reached its target, paving the way for the former premier’s transfer from Kajang Prison to house arrest.
“UMNO completed all payment procedures with the Kuala Lumpur High Court this morning,” Asyraf said, adding that the party had officially closed the special fundraising account.
Najib’s lawyer, Farhan Shafee, subsequently confirmed that the High Court had issued an order allowing his client to serve the remainder of his sentence under house arrest.
The legal team said it would deliver the order to Kajang Prison, although further administrative procedures were still required before Najib could leave the facility.
The house arrest arrangement follows a conditional pardon granted by Malaysia’s King, Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar, on September 18, 2026, allowing Najib to complete his remaining sentence at his residence in Kuala Lumpur until August 23, 2028.
Najib, 73, has been imprisoned since August 2022 following his conviction over the misappropriation of 42 million ringgit from SRC International, a former subsidiary of the state-owned 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) investment fund.
He was initially sentenced in July 2020 to 12 years in prison and fined 210 million ringgit. However, Malaysia’s Pardons Board reduced his sentence by half and lowered the fine to 50 million ringgit in January 2024.
The 1MDB scandal involved the alleged diversion of billions of dollars from the state investment fund, with international investigators estimating that approximately $4.5 billion was misappropriated.
Despite the latest development, Najib continues to face a separate 15-year prison sentence imposed in December 2025 after he was convicted of additional corruption and money laundering offences involving 1MDB funds. He has appealed that conviction.
The separate sentence is not covered by the house arrest arrangement and could see him return to prison after completing his current term, depending on the outcome of his appeal.
Najib’s impending transfer has also generated political debate in Malaysia, with critics questioning the decision to facilitate his house arrest while his party mobilised public contributions to settle his fine.
