[UPDATED] Najib remains in Kajang Prison as house arrest transfer stalls, lawyers confirm

KUALA LUMPUR: Former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak remains in Kajang Prison despite preparations for his transfer to house arrest, his lawyers confirmed tonight.

Messrs Shafee and Co said the transfer process was already under way when the Attorney-General's Chambers (A-GC) issued a statement calling for the arrangement to be temporarily suspended.

"For the avoidance of doubt, our client has not yet left Kajang Prison.

"The process of releasing him into house arrest was under way when the A-GC Statement was issued," the firm said in a statement.

The lawyers maintained that all conditions imposed under Najib's conditional royal pardon had been fulfilled following the payment of his RM50 million fine earlier today.

They said the Kuala Lumpur High Court subsequently issued sealed orders to the officer in charge of Kajang Prison authorising Najib's immediate discharge in relation to the fine.

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

The A-GC said two possible interpretations had arisen over the effect of the RM50 million payment.

Under the first, payment would settle only the fine, with Najib continuing to serve the remainder of his SRC International prison sentence under house arrest until Aug 23, 2028.

Under the second, payment could mean that the entire SRC International sentence, including the prison term, had been completed.

The chambers said the interpretation could also affect the commencement of Najib's separate prison sentence in the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) case.

It 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 rejected that explanation, insisting that the AGC had no basis to delay his transfer.

Najib was granted a conditional royal pardon by Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Ibrahim on Sept 18, allowing him to serve the remainder of his SRC International sentence under house arrest, subject to payment of the fine and compliance with stipulated conditions.

He has been serving his sentence since Aug 23, 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.