In brief
Malaysia’s king said that any attempt to question the house‑arrest order for former prime minister Najib Razak would be a direct challenge to his authority. The order follows a conditional pardon that required a $12 million fine, and it was delayed when the attorney general sought clarification. Najib remains in jail while the legal question over his release is resolved, and he faces an additional 15‑year sentence for another 1MDB case.
On Saturday, King Ibrahim of Malaysia warned that anyone who tried to challenge former prime minister Najib Razak’s house‑arrest order would be refusing his decree. The warning came after the country’s attorney general delayed Najib’s transfer to house arrest, saying more clarification was needed on the pardon that was supposed to take effect after a $12 million fine was paid.
Najib, 73, was jailed for his role in the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) scandal. The king said the conditional pardon was "clear, evident and without any ambiguity" and that all conditions had been met, so any argument against the order equated to denying the king’s order.
Najib’s lawyers praised the king, saying there was “no basis” for authorities to keep the former leader in prison a moment longer. Lawyer Farhan Shafee said Najib must be transferred immediately to his residence at Jalan Langgak Duta to serve the house arrest that the king had ordered.
The attorney general’s office responded that its step was not about delaying or denying the pardon but about avoiding any conflict in the implementation of the orders in force. It added that it was not challenging the king’s authority, while remaining unclear on whether Najib would be released right away.
Hours later, the prime minister’s office said the attorney general was seeking an audience with the king to "seek pardon" and express a willingness to comply, while noting that legal questions remained for a court to decide. The house‑arrest order applies only to Najib’s first conviction; he faces another 15 years in prison pending a verdict in a separate 1MDB‑linked case, with that sentence beginning after his house‑arrest term ends.
