Former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak has paid a 50 million ringgit, or approximately Rp 223,4 miliar, fine to secure house arrest, but Malaysia’s Attorney General’s Chambers quickly suspended the transfer, keeping the 73-year-old former leader inside Kajang Prison amid complex legal disputes over royal pardons and separate corruption cases.
UMNO Settles 50 Million Ringgit Fine to Secure House Arrest
The United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) settled the 50 million ringgit fine at the Kuala Lumpur High Court on the morning of November 6, 2026, according to reports from detikNews. The payment fulfilled the financial requirement set out in a royal conditional pardon granted by King Sultan Ibrahim in September 2026, which permitted Najib to serve the remainder of his prison sentence under house arrest.
UMNO secretary-general Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki announced that public donations collected through the party’s “Najib Razak Solidarity Fund” covered the massive penalty, confirming that fundraising efforts were officially closed following the court settlement, as reported by CNN Indonesia. Shortly after the payment cleared, Interior Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail designated Najib’s residence on Jalan Langgak Duta as a detention facility under the Prison Act 1995 to legally accommodate the transfer.
Attorney General’s Chambers Suspends Prison Release Pending Legal Review
Despite the fine being paid and a High Court order directing his immediate release into home detention, the Attorney General’s Chambers (AGC) issued a statement on November 6 suspending the house arrest order temporarily. The office stated that the application of home detention must be put on hold until further clarifications are completed.
Najib’s defense team demanded his immediate release. Attorney Farhan Shafee said his team had received the house arrest order documents and would submit them to Kajang Prison, adding that if the process went according to plan, Najib would be transferred to his home on Friday. Local media documented a silver vehicle accompanied by security and prison department escorts leaving Kajang Prison on the afternoon of November 6, though uncertainty remained over whether he reached his residence or an alternative holding location.
Unresolved Legal Hurdles and the 1MDB Corruption Case
At the core of the dispute is whether settling the 50 million ringgit penalty concludes Najib’s sentence in the SRC International corruption case or merely alters his custody status until August 23, 2028. Najib began serving a 12-year prison sentence in August 2022 after Malaysia’s apex court upheld his conviction for abuse of power, criminal breach of trust, and money laundering involving 42 million ringgit from SRC International, a former unit of 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB). A 2024 royal pardon halved that prison term to six years and reduced the original 210 million ringgit fine.
The AGC is currently reviewing whether the payment concludes the SRC International matter or intersects with a separate 15-year prison sentence tied to the broader multi-billion-dollar 1MDB scandal. Court rulings dictate that the separate 1MDB sentence must begin only after the SRC International term is fully completed. The High Court rejected Najib’s bid to suspend the 1MDB sentence on October 14, creating a complex legal bottleneck that the AGC maintains requires a definitive judicial review before the house arrest can safely proceed.
King grants royal pardon for Najib Razak
When was the royal pardon granted to Najib Razak?
King Sultan Ibrahim granted the conditional royal pardon in September 2026, permitting Najib to serve the remainder of his sentence under house arrest upon payment of the 50 million ringgit fine.
Which political party raised the funds to pay the fine?
UMNO paid the 50 million ringgit fine to the Kuala Lumpur High Court on November 6, 2026, using contributions collected through the party’s public fundraising campaign, the “Najib Razak Solidarity Fund.”
What specific prison was Najib held in prior to the suspension?
Najib had been detained at Kajang Prison since August 23, 2022, after the Federal Court upheld his initial conviction in the SRC International corruption case.
What is the primary reason given by the Attorney General’s Chambers for halting the transfer?
The AGC stated that complex legal issues regarding the execution of royal pardons and court orders required a temporary suspension and further clarification to determine how the payment impacts Najib’s separate 15-year prison sentence linked to the 1MDB scandal.
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