Malaysia's former Prime Minister Najib Razak is set to leave prison and serve the remainder of his reduced corruption sentence under house arrest after his political party paid a 50 million ringgit (approximately Sh1.6 billion) fine required under the terms of his royal pardon.
The payment was completed on Friday, November 6, 2026, after the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) raised the money through a fundraising drive to meet one of the conditions attached to Najib's clemency.
UMNO Secretary-General Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki confirmed that the party had collected sufficient funds and completed the payment at the High Court earlier in the day.
The development clears a major hurdle in the former leader's transition from prison to house arrest, although the exact date of his transfer had not been announced by the authorities.
Police officers were reportedly stationed outside Najib's residence in Kuala Lumpur early Friday, while the road leading to his home was blocked.
Najib, 73, has been in prison since August 2022, when Malaysia's Federal Court upheld his conviction in a corruption case linked to the multibillion-dollar scandal involving state investment fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB).
His release arrangement follows a royal pardon granted by Malaysia's King Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar, which allows him to serve the remainder of his reduced six-year sentence at home instead of in prison.
The pardon was granted after the Pardons Board reduced his original 12-year prison sentence by half in January 2024 and lowered his fine from 210 million ringgit (approximately Sh6.6 billion) to 50 million ringgit.
Najib was initially convicted in 2020 of abuse of power, criminal breach of trust and money laundering involving 42 million ringgit (about Sh323 million) transferred from SRC International, a former subsidiary of 1MDB, into his personal bank accounts.
However, the house arrest arrangement only applies to his sentence in the first corruption case and does not cover a separate 15-year prison sentence imposed in December 2025 following another major trial connected to the 1MDB scandal.
In the second case, Najib was convicted of corruption and money laundering, with the former Prime Minister appealing the decision.
His legal battle therefore remains unresolved, with the possibility of returning to prison if his appeal against the second conviction fails and the sentence becomes enforceable.
The 1MDB scandal remains one of the largest financial corruption cases in Malaysia's history and attracted international attention over allegations that billions of dollars were siphoned from the state investment fund.
Najib established the fund shortly after assuming office in 2009, with the aim of attracting investment and supporting Malaysia's economic development.
However, international investigators have estimated that at least US$4.5 billion was stolen from the fund and laundered through multiple bank accounts in the United States and other countries by individuals linked to the scandal.
The stolen money was allegedly used to finance luxury purchases and extravagant lifestyles, including Hollywood film productions, hotels, a luxury yacht, artwork and expensive jewellery.
Najib's move to house arrest marks a significant development in his long-running legal battles, although his separate conviction means his freedom could still be affected by the outcome of the pending appeal.
