Agriculture and food security minister Mohamad Sabu proposed legislation allowing all convicts to serve half their prison sentences under house arrest, Free Malaysia Today reported.
This suggestion came on the heels of a High Court ruling that granted former prime minister Najib Razak permission to spend the remainder of his SRC International prison term at home until Aug 23, 2028. Following the Federal Court’s affirmation of his guilt for money laundering, criminal breach of trust, and abuse of power over RM42 million in SRC International assets, Najib was imprisoned in August 2022.
A royal pardon issued in January 2024 by the then Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Al-Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah, cut Najib’s prison term in half and lowered the financial penalty to RM50 million. Subsequently, in September of this current year, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Sultan Ibrahim, provided Najib with another conditional pardon permitting him to complete his sentence under house detention, contingent upon the settlement of a RM50 million fine.
“The principle of equality before the law must not be compromised on the basis of position, political influence or family ties,” Mohamad said in a statement. “The law must be fair to all. Malaysia cannot practise a two-tiered justice system.”
Mohamad offered to donate his entire ministerial salary until the dissolution of the current parliamentary term to fund non-governmental organizations campaigning for house arrest legislation, Free Malaysia Today reported. Malaysiakini said that the minister is giving up his ministerial salary of RM11,900 while keeping his allowances.
The Kota Raja MP and Amanah president said that his position was not motivated by any personal grievance with Najib or his family. The Rakyat Post reported that Mohamad called on civil society groups, legal practitioners, and NGOs to push for the legal mechanism.
“I hope NGOs will come forward to spearhead efforts to push for a legal mechanism that allows prisoners to serve half their sentences in prison and the remaining half under house arrest,” he said, according to NST Online.
Najib was serving a 12-year prison sentence handed down after his August 2022 conviction in the SRC International case, which was later halved to six years and accompanied by a reduced fine of RM50 million.
Mohamad pledged his full ministerial salary of RM11,900 per month until the current Parliament is dissolved, while retaining his standard parliamentary and ministerial allowances.
Mohamad cited Bersih, the Bar Council, and the Syariah Lawyers Association as organizations he hopes will take up the campaign for universal house arrest rules.
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