[UPDATED] Umno wants action against those defying King's order on Najib

KUALA LUMPUR: Umno has demanded that Datuk Seri Najib Razak be placed under house arrest immediately and that action be taken against anyone defying the Yang di-Pertuan Agong's order.

Its secretary-general, Datuk Dr Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki, said the party welcomed Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia's decree on implementing the Pardons Board's decision allowing Najib to serve the remainder of his prison sentence under house arrest.

Asyraf said the King's decree made clear that all conditions of the conditional pardon had been fulfilled, including payment of the RM50 million fine.

He said any argument disputing the pardon would therefore amount to defying the King's order.

"Malaysia must not be allowed to be governed or administered by those who clearly disregard the provisions of the Federal Constitution," he said.

Asyraf also expressed Umno's gratitude to the King for his stand on implementing the pardon, adding that the party stood with Malaysians in upholding the sovereignty of the royal institution.

Earlier today, Istana Negara said the conditional royal pardon granted to Najib on Sept 18 was clear, explicit and unambiguous, and unrelated to any other cases involving him.

The palace said all conditions imposed under the pardon had been fulfilled and warned that any attempt to dispute the order would amount to defying the King's decree.

The pardon allows Najib to serve the remainder of his SRC International prison sentence under house arrest until Aug 23, 2028, subject to payment of a RM50 million fine.

The fine was paid in full at the Kuala Lumpur High Court yesterday.

However, the Attorney-General's Chambers (A-GC) subsequently called for the house arrest arrangement to be temporarily deferred pending judicial clarification on the legal effect of the High Court's discharge order.

The A-GC said clarification was necessary to determine whether Najib's SRC International sentence remained in force or had ended, and the implications for his separate prison sentence in the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) case.

In a statement today, the A-GC denied questioning or attempting to suspend the King's conditional pardon, maintaining that seeking court clarification was necessary to ensure the relevant orders were implemented lawfully.

Najib's lawyers have also demanded his immediate transfer from Kajang Prison to his Jalan Langgak Duta residence, arguing that there is no longer any legal basis for delaying his house arrest.