Malaysia’s Najib barred from politics under house arrest rule ahead of Melaka election

Malaysia’s former prime minister Najib Razak is barred from political activity and media appearances under house arrest, according to the home minister on Thursday. Any breach will send him straight back to prison.

The announcement will remove any ambiguity about Najib’s possible role in the Melaka state election on Saturday and help shore up the credibility of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s government, already facing recriminations for not being able to stop the house arrest, an expert says.

Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail told parliament Najib “cannot make any statement or comment in any media coverage. He cannot take part in public gatherings, let alone participate in political activities”.

If there was a breach, he added, “the person who violates the conditions will immediately be returned to Kajang Prison or any other prison designated by the commissioner general”.

Najib, 73, must remain at his luxury residence in Kuala Lumpur unless granted written permission to leave, receive approval before accepting visitors and use only telecommunications devices registered by prison authorities to verify his presence. He must also undergo rehabilitation programmes.

A request to include a second house in the arrangement could not be accommodated under the Pardons Board’s decision, Saifuddin added.

The home minister agreed to raise a proposal at Friday’s cabinet meeting to declassify the Pardons Board’s minutes, after Muar MP Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman called for their disclosure to clarify how the decision was reached.

Saifuddin also addressed confusion over daily life at Najib’s residence, which has been designated a prison, confirming that immediate family members could live there. That contradicted claims by Nurulhidayah Ahmad Zahid, daughter of Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, that Najib’s wife and children would not stay at the house.

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Ex-Malaysian PM Najib begins house arrest over corruption conviction

Responding to online questions, the executive council member of Wanita Umno, the women’s wing of Najib’s party, also said food deliveries were prohibited. Saifuddin did not address that claim in his parliamentary reply.

The attorney general had sought clarification of an earlier discharge order last week, prompting King Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar to warn against defying his decree before the High Court issued a replacement order on Tuesday.

“Loyalty to the institution of the monarchy does not mean we can disregard questions of law,” Saifuddin said.

Cost of clemency

Awang Azman Awang Pawi, a political analyst at Universiti Malaya, said that while Saifuddin’s clarification established that Najib remained under a custodial sentence, its political value would depend on enforcement.

“The explanation may contain some political damage, but rebuilding reform credibility requires consistent accountability, not simply political reassurance,” he said. “However, public confidence depends not merely on the severity of the restrictions, but on the transparency and consistency of their enforcement.”

Loke has nevertheless reaffirmed support for Anwar’s government, according to state news agency Bernama, and DAP remains part of the ruling Pakatan Harapan (PH) alliance.

PH faces Umno-led Barisan Nasional (BN) in the coming Melaka election, despite their federal partnership. BN is campaigning alongside the opposition Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS) and its allies.

Awang Azman said the restrictions could reassure PH supporters that house arrest did not mean political rehabilitation while showing Umno supporters that Najib’s constitutional rights had been respected.

“The greatest electoral risk for PH may not be voters switching directly to BN, but disappointed supporters choosing not to vote,” he said. “However, the controversy could also motivate some PH supporters to turn out and register their dissatisfaction.”

Najib began serving a 12-year sentence in 2022 over the misappropriation of 42 million ringgit (US$10 million) from SRC International, a former subsidiary of state investment fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), before a royal pardon halved his jail term.

His house arrest runs until August 23, 2028, after which the court order requires him to return to prison to serve a separate 15-year sentence in the main 1MDB case. He is appealing that conviction.