Malaysia's ex-premier Najib will serve prison time at home after paying $12.3M fine
Malaysia's former Prime Minister Najib Razak is set to leave prison to serve the remainder of his graft sentence at home, after his political party paid a 50 million ringgit ($12.3 million) fine required under the terms of a royal pardon.
Najib, 73, has been imprisoned since August 2022, when Malaysia's top court upheld his conviction in his first graft trial linked to the multibillion-dollar looting of state investment fund 1MDB. Malaysia's king in September granted Najib a rare clemency, allowing him to serve the rest of the sentence under house arrest.
Payment Condition Met
Asyraf Wajid Dusuki, secretary-general of the United Malays National Organization, said in a statement that the party had collected sufficient funds through its donation drive for Najib. He confirmed the party had completed payment of the fine at the High Court earlier Friday.
The party had collected sufficient funds through its donation drive for Najib. He said the party had completed payment of the fine at the High Court earlier Friday.
Limited House Arrest
The house arrest applies only to his reduced six-year sentence in the first trial. It doesn't cover a separate 15-year prison sentence imposed in December 2025 for corruption and money laundering in a second major trial tied to the 1MDB scandal.
Najib is appealing his conviction and sentence in the second trial. The 15-year sentence is to take effect after his existing sentence ends. He was also fined 11.4 billion ringgit ($2.8 billion). If Najib fails to win the appeal, he could go back to prison after Aug. 23, 2028.
Scandal's Legacy
Najib set up the 1MDB development fund shortly after he took office in 2009. Investigators say at least $4.5 billion was stolen from the fund and laundered by Najib's associates through layers of bank accounts in the U.S. and other countries.
The funds were allegedly used to finance Hollywood films and extravagant purchases that included hotels, a luxury yacht, art and jewelry. Public outrage over the 1MDB scandal led to the historic 2018 election defeat of the ruling coalition, which had governed Malaysia since independence from Britain in 1957.
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