Former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak’s pardon application was deferred to a future Pardons Board meeting on September 11, according to the Prime Minister’s Department. The decision, made during the 63rd meeting in Putrajaya, also saw 65 prisoners released, with non-citizens to be deported within six months.
The deferral of Najib’s pardon application was confirmed by the Prime Minister’s Department’s Legal Affairs Division following the Pardons Board’s meeting in Putrajaya on September 11. His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar consented to the postponement, while also authorizing the release of 65 prisoners. Non-Malaysian detainees must be deported within six months of their release, as outlined in the department’s statement.
Najib’s pardon application deferred to future board meeting, says
The Pardons Board, which includes Sultan Ibrahim, the Attorney-General, Federal Territories Minister Hannah Yeoh, and three other members, convened to review applications. The board’s decision to defer Najib’s application came amid speculation that his house arrest request would be discussed, though no final resolution was reached.
Najib, 73, was initially sentenced to 12 years in prison and fined RM210 million in July 2020 for misappropriating RM42 million from SRC International, a subsidiary of 1MDB. His term was halved to six years in January 2024, with the fine reduced to RM50 million (US$12.3 million). He began serving his sentence at Kajang Prison in August 2022. Despite this, a royal pardon attempt to allow house arrest was rejected by the High Court, which ruled the addendum order unenforceable because it had not been deliberated in the January 2024 Pardons Board meeting, which occurred one day before Sultan Abdullah’s reign ended.
The latest deferral comes after Najib’s legal team sought further clemency. His lawyer, Muhammad Shafee Abdullah, had previously suggested that his client may return to politics if he is pardoned and allowed out of prison. However, the Pardons Board’s decision to delay the application leaves his future uncertain. The board’s meeting also included the release of 65 prisoners, though specifics about their cases were not detailed in the available sources. Non-Malaysian prisoners released under the decision must be repatriated to their countries of origin within six months of their release.
Former Malaysia PM Najib to remain in jail as
Political tensions between UMNO, Najib’s party, and Pakatan Harapan (PH), the coalition led by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, intensified over the deferral. UMNO emphasized respect for the Pardons Board’s process, with its secretary-general Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki stating, Whatever decision is made through the legitimate process should be respected by all parties.
In contrast, PH reiterated its stance that those who have been convicted of corruption or abuse of power should serve the full sentences imposed by the courts, citing concerns over public trust in Malaysia’s anti-corruption efforts.
The coalition stressed that any decision involving high-profile cases must consider public confidence in Malaysia’s reform and anti-corruption agenda. UMNO, however, defended the Sultan’s constitutional authority to pardon prisoners, referencing Article 42(1) of the Federal Constitution.
Najib faces another lengthy jail term in a separate 1MDB-related case. The jail term was due to begin in 2028 after he finishes his current sentence. He has filed an appeal against the verdict and sentence, Reuters reported on December 30 last year.
Pardon & Forgiveness Application
Najib’s legal team had previously argued that the then-King, Sultan Abdullah, issued an addendum order allowing house arrest. However, the High Court ruled that the addendum was not enforceable because it had not been deliberated in the January 2024 Pardons Board meeting. Najib later withdrew his appeal in April this year without providing a reason in court documents.
Najib’s lawyer, Muhammad Shafee Abdullah, had previously stated that a pardon could enable his client’s return to politics. Najib’s party, the BN lynchpin United Malays National Organisation (UMNO), is holding its general assembly from September 9 to 12, with UMNO president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi expressing hope for the best in Najib’s clemency bid. I am confident that His Majesty’s discretion and wisdom will determine the final decision, which is His Majesty’s absolute prerogative to announce,
he said, as reported by Malay Mail.
The Pardons Board’s next meeting will determine Najib’s fate, though no date has been announced.
