Former Malaysian leader Najib Razak returns home under royal pardon, but faces a separate 15-year prison sentence

Former Malaysian prime minister Najib Razak has been transferred from prison to house arrest after a royal pardon and a new court order resolved a dispute over his release. The decision has prompted Transport Minister Anthony Loke to resign in protest, while Najib remains subject to a separate prison sentence.

Najib, 73, will serve the remainder of a reduced six-year sentence at home until August 2028, after his party paid the required fine. He had spent four years in prison over the 1MDB scandal, in which about $4.5 billion was siphoned from the state fund; US investigators said $1 billion went to accounts linked to him. He is appealing a separate 15-year sentence for abuse of power and money laundering, and could return to prison if the appeal fails.