Malaysia’s King says Najib’s conditional pardon is unambiguous, warns against disputing it

Malaysia’s King Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar said Najib Razak’s conditional pardon is clear and has been fulfilled, and warned that disputing it would defy the monarch’s decree. His statement follows the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) seeking a temporary suspension of Najib’s house arrest while it seeks legal clarification.

The pardon allows Najib to serve the remainder of his sentence in the SRC International corruption case under house arrest. The AGC says it is unclear whether payment of a RM50 million fine means the sentence continues until 23 August 2028 or is complete; that affects when Najib’s separate 15-year sentence in the 1MDB case would begin. The King said the pardon does not concern Najib’s other cases, while the AGC’s proposed suspension was not explicitly withdrawn in his statement.