Najib Razak wins appeal to serve corruption sentence at home
- The Court of Appeals ruled in favor of Najib Razak, allowing him to appeal his incarceration conditions.
- A letter from a palace official confirmed an order for Najib to serve his sentence at home.
- The case raises concerns regarding potential favoritism within Malaysia's judicial system.
In Malaysia, former Prime Minister Najib Razak recently achieved a significant legal victory as he won an appeal to pursue his request to serve the remainder of his corruption sentence at home under house arrest. This landmark decision was rendered by the Court of Appeals on January 6, 2025, which ruled in a 2-1 vote that the initial rejection of Najib's application by the High Court should be reconsidered. The application, originally submitted in April 2024, was based on Najib’s assertion that an addendum order permitting him to finish his sentence in a less restrictive environment had been issued by then-King Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah during a pardons board meeting. Najib claimed this addendum order came alongside a significant reduction of his 12-year jail term as well as a decrease in the imposed fine. However, this new appeal faced a previous dismissal by the High Court three months after his initial application due to a lack of sufficient evidence at that time. The recent ruling came after Najib’s lawyer presented a letter from a Pahang state palace official which confirmed the existence of the addendum order, prompting the Appeals Court to require the lower court to hear the case anew under a different judge. Najib's legal representation expressed gratitude for the win and labeled the government's earlier concealment of the addendum as a severe injustice. The case has raised substantial public interest and scrutiny, particularly regarding concerns of special treatment for Najib compared to other incarcerated individuals, reflecting broader issues of privilege within the justice system. The backdrop to Najib’s legal plight is a high-profile corruption scandal involving the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) fund, which allegedly involved the misappropriation of over $4.5 billion of public money during his administration. With over $700 million funneled into Najib’s accounts, this massive scandal has led to ongoing criminal investigations and trials, with Najib continuing to contest charges directly linked to his actions while in office. As Najib navigates this legal landscape while serving less than two years of his reduced sentence, Malaysia remains engrossed in discussions regarding governmental accountability, the rule of law, and the implications of political power on legal proceedings.