Pas: Why is Najib's house arrest still on hold? [WATCH]

KUALA LUMPUR: Pas has demanded an explanation from the government over the delay in implementing former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak's house arrest despite the payment of his RM50 million fine.

Its secretary-general Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan questioned why the Attorney-General's Chambers (A-GC) was still seeking clarification on the conditional royal pardon granted nearly two months ago.

He said the pardon, announced by the Legal Affairs Division of the Prime Minister's Department on Sept 18, clearly stipulated that Najib could serve the remainder of his prison sentence under house arrest until Aug 23, 2028, subject to payment of the fine.

"Under the ordinary interpretation of the law, and as understood by the public, it is clear that once the RM50 million fine has been paid, Najib should be allowed to serve the remainder of his prison sentence under house arrest until Aug 23, 2028," Takiyuddin said in a statement today.

He said the A-GC's claim that two possible interpretations of the royal pardon and the High Court's order required further examination should no longer arise.

He also questioned why the A-GC had not sought clarification earlier if its concerns were related to the High Court's rejection of an application for a stay of execution in Najib's separate 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) case on Oct 14.

"If that is the issue requiring examination and consideration, the A-GC should have sought clarification from the court on that date, rather than after Najib's supporters had gone to great lengths to raise funds to settle the fine imposed on him," he said.

Takiyuddin called on the A-GC to explain why the implementation of the royal pardon appeared to have been delayed.

"The government, particularly the A-GC as the guardian of the public interest, must provide a clear explanation to the public, without hiding behind excuses, as to why the implementation of the sentence appears to have been delayed," he said.

He said the legal maxim "justice delayed is justice denied" must be upheld to ensure fairness to all parties.

Yesterday, Umno confirmed that Najib's RM50 million fine had been paid in full at the Kuala Lumpur High Court.

However, the A-GC subsequently called for the implementation of his house arrest to be temporarily deferred pending clarification of legal questions surrounding the conditional pardon and the effect of the court orders.

The A-GC said the clarification was necessary to determine whether payment of the fine settled only the financial penalty, leaving Najib to serve the remainder of his SRC International prison sentence under house arrest, or whether it meant the entire sentence had been completed.

The chambers maintained that the proposed deferment was not intended to challenge the King's decree but to ensure that the pardon and related court orders were implemented correctly.

Najib's lawyers have rejected the A-GC's position and demanded his immediate transfer to house arrest.

Najib remains at Kajang Prison, where he has been serving his sentence since August 2022 following his conviction for misappropriating RM42 million in SRC International funds.

His original 12-year prison sentence and RM210 million fine were reduced to six years and RM50 million respectively by the Pardons Board in 2024.