Malaysia court denies Najib Razak’s request to suspend 15-year prison sentence
On Wednesday (14 Oct), the Kuala Lumpur High Court denied former Malaysian prime minister (PM) Najib Razak’s request to suspend a 15-year jail term linked to the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) scandal.
The 73-year-old ex-premier has been in prison since 2022 for graft and money laundering, also in connection with 1MDB.
In a separate case, he was convicted of abuse of power and money laundering in Dec 2025 and was sentenced to 15 years’ imprisonment and RM11.4 billion (around S$3.6 billion) in fines.
Najib cites declining health in appeal
In his appeal, Najib’s lawyers cited his declining health, The Straits Times (ST) reported. They also said the fines the court imposed were too large to pay.
However, Judge Noor Ruwena Md Nordin dismissed his application, saying he failed to establish any special circumstances to justify a stay of his sentence.
Source: Najib Razak on Facebook
The court’s findings also revealed that Najib could no longer be considered a first-time offender. This was because of his conviction in the SRC International case.
“The gravity of the offence is a more important public interest consideration, which this court must have regard to,” the judge added.
Ex-PM “very disappointed” over denied appeal
Following this, Najib’s lawyer, Muhammad Shafee Abdullah, said they will file a similar application for a stay at the Court of Appeal.
“We should get the stay because the appeal on the main case is going to take years,” he told reporters, according to New Straits Times.
Source: Najib Razak on Facebook
The defence was surprised by the High Court’s ruling, as they believed Najib had met the legal requirements for a stay.
The court emphasised the gravity of his offences and public interest, but Shafee argued such factors were more relevant to sentencing than to deciding whether a sentence should be given a stay.
He also contested the court’s statement that Najib wasn’t a first-time offender due to his previous SRC conviction.
He also argued that the SRC and 1MDB cases occurred concurrently and should not count as repeat offences.
When asked how the ex-PM reacted to the court’s decision, Shafee said: “He is very disappointed. Frustrated.”
Najib to serve remainder of SRC sentence on house arrest
The Edge Malaysia reported that local newspapers also said Najib would serve his remaining SRC sentence under house arrest.
Shafee confirmed Najib received Sultan Ibrahim’s order, including an appendix detailing its conditions and implementation.
The legal counsel told reporters that the Prisons Department had advised the ex-PM not to disclose the order’s contents. This was reportedly done to curb public and media speculation.
Source: Free Malaysia Today
However, he confirmed that the ex-PM would be staying at his residence in Langgak Duta, Kuala Lumpur. Additionally, he would be allowed to live with his family.
On 18 Sept, Sultan Ibrahim granted Najib a conditional pardon, allowing him to serve his sentence under house arrest until 23 Aug 2028.
This is subject to the payment of a RM50 million (approximately S$15.7 million) fine and compliance with the conditions outlined.
Also read: Former M’sia PM Najib sentenced to 165 years in jail over power abuse & money laundering
Former M’sia PM Najib sentenced to 165 years in jail over power abuse & money laundering
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Featured image adapted from The Edge Malaysia, Najib Razak on Facebook.
