Conditional Pardon: Najib to Serve House Arrest if RM50 Million Fine Is Paid

KUALA LUMPUR: Sultan Ibrahim, Yang di-Pertuan Agong, has granted Datuk Seri Najib Razak a conditional pardon allowing him to serve the remainder of his sentence under house arrest until Aug 23, 2028, provided he pays the RM50 million fine.

The matter was announced by the Legal Affairs Division of the Prime Minister’s Department (BHEUU, JPM) in a statement today.

The decision was made with the consent of Sultan Ibrahim, Yang di-Pertuan Agong, who chaired the Federal Territories Pardons Board meeting today.

“He must comply with the stipulated conditions, and should he fail to comply with any of those conditions, the conditional pardon will be revoked and he must immediately resume serving the remainder of his sentence in prison,” the statement said.

Najib, 73, has been serving his prison sentence at Kajang Prison since Aug 23, 2022.

The conviction relates to the misappropriation of SRC International Sdn Bhd funds, while the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) case remains ongoing and is at the appeal stage before the Court of Appeal.

The Federal Territories Pardons Board is chaired by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong and comprises the Attorney General, the minister responsible for the Federal Territories and three other members appointed by His Majesty.

Istana Negara has been the focus of media attention since early this morning as journalists monitored developments surrounding the Pardons Board meeting.

Earlier, vehicles carrying Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Federal Territories) Hannah Yeoh and Attorney General Tan Sri Mohd Dusuki Mokhtar were seen entering the main gate of Istana Negara to attend the Pardons Board meeting.

Hannah was later seen leaving Istana Negara first, followed by Mohd Dusuki at 9.43 am after attending the meeting.

Pardon Process Deferred Last Week

On Sept 11, the media reported that the Federal Territories Pardons Board had met to consider, among other matters, Najib’s application for a pardon in relation to his conviction in the SRC International Sdn Bhd fund misappropriation case.

However, the Federal Territories Pardons Board, chaired by Sultan Ibrahim, Yang di-Pertuan Agong, deferred Najib’s pardon application to a future meeting.

Pardon Related to SRC International

In July 2020, Najib was convicted of misappropriating RM42 million in SRC International funds and was sentenced to 12 years in prison and fined RM210 million. The conviction and sentence were subsequently upheld by the Federal Court in August 2022.

However, on Feb 2, 2024, the Pardons Board Secretariat announced a 50 per cent reduction in Najib’s prison sentence, from 12 years to six years, while his fine was reduced from RM210 million to RM50 million.

Chronology of the SRC Case

Aug 8, 2018: Charged in the Sessions Court with three counts of criminal breach of trust and one count of abuse of power involving RM42 million in SRC International Sdn Bhd funds.

Aug 10, 2018: Charged in the Sessions Court with three counts of money laundering involving the same amount and funds.

Dec 13, 2018: The High Court fixed 33 days beginning Feb 12, 2019, for the trial of the seven charges.

Dec 18, 2018: The High Court dismissed Najib’s application for a gag order to prevent the media and public from discussing the merits of his case.

Feb 11, 2019: The High Court dismissed Najib’s application concerning the appointment letter of Datuk Sulaiman Abdullah as Senior Deputy Public Prosecutor.

March 21, 2019: The Court of Appeal allowed Najib to postpone the trial.

March 27, 2019: The Court of Appeal dismissed three of Najib’s four interlocutory appeals and allowed his application to postpone the trial.

March 28, 2019: The Federal Court set aside the Court of Appeal’s decision allowing Najib to postpone the trial.

April 3, 2019: The High Court fixed the trial for April 3.

Nov 11, 2019: The trial began and continued for 58 days.

Dec 3, 2019: The High Court ordered Najib to enter his defence on all charges.

March 11, 2020: Najib entered his defence, with 18 defence witnesses called to testify during proceedings spanning 33 days.

June 1, 2020: The defence closed its case.

June 5, 2020: Closing submissions for the defence case were heard over five days.

July 28, 2020: The High Court found Najib guilty of three counts of criminal breach of trust and one count of abuse of power involving RM42 million in SRC International Sdn Bhd funds.

Feb 2, 2024: The Federal Territories Pardons Board reduced Najib’s prison sentence to six years and his fine to RM50 million.

Aug 23, 2026: Najib was scheduled to be released after serving his sentence for the SRC conviction, but his imprisonment would be extended by one year if he failed to pay the fine.

Sept 11, 2026: The 63rd Pardons Board Meeting for the Federal Territories of Kuala Lumpur, Labuan and Putrajaya was held.

Sept 11, 2026: Sultan Ibrahim, Yang di-Pertuan Agong, consented to Najib’s pardon application being deferred to a future Pardons Board meeting.

Berita Harian