Najib House Arrest Dispute: King Reaffirms Royal Order as Anwar Seeks Legal Explanation
KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 8 — Malaysia's dispute over former prime minister Najib Razak's planned house arrest has entered a new stage after the royal palace reaffirmed that the conditional pardon granted by King Sultan Ibrahim must be respected.
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has instructed Attorney-General Mohd Dusuki Mokhtar to seek an audience with the King to explain legal complications arising from Najib's separate prison sentences.
The latest developments follow the settlement of a RM50 million fine on November 6, which was among the conditions attached to Najib's conditional pardon.
Despite the payment, his transfer to house detention has not been confirmed.
Palace reaffirms the King's decision
In a statement issued on November 7, Istana Negara said Najib's conditional pardon had been considered by the Federal Territories Pardons Board on September 18 under Article 42 of the Federal Constitution.
The palace stated that the order was clear and concerned the remaining sentence in the SRC International case.
It also stressed that the prescribed conditions had been fulfilled and that the royal decision should be respected.
The statement came after the Attorney-General's Chambers requested a temporary delay in implementing the house-arrest arrangement.
Fine payment completed on November 6
UMNO confirmed that the RM50 million fine had been paid at the Kuala Lumpur High Court on Friday.
The payment followed a fundraising initiative organised to help meet the financial requirement attached to the conditional pardon.
Although the High Court issued an order following the payment, the Attorney-General's Chambers raised questions about its legal consequences.
The authorities consequently did not complete the anticipated transfer to house detention.
Attorney-General's Chambers explains the legal issue
The AGC said it was not challenging the King's constitutional power to grant pardons.
Instead, it sought judicial clarification of how the High Court's discharge order should affect Najib's remaining sentence in the SRC International case.
One possible interpretation would allow the prison sentence to continue through house arrest.
Another could mean the SRC sentence had legally ended after the pardon conditions were fulfilled.
The distinction matters because Najib also faces a separate prison sentence in a 1MDB-related case.
According to the AGC, the legal status of the SRC sentence could determine when the other sentence must begin.
The AGC maintained that court clarification was necessary to prevent conflicting or unlawful sentence enforcement.
Anwar directs Attorney-General to seek royal audience
Speaking on November 7, Anwar said he had asked the Attorney-General to seek an audience with Sultan Ibrahim without delay.
The Prime Minister explained that the purpose was to clarify the legal relationship between the SRC International sentence and the separate 1MDB case.
He emphasised that the government's position did not involve questioning the King's authority or decision.
The move represents an attempt to address the disagreement through formal constitutional and legal channels.
Najib's detention status remains unresolved
The latest statements have not established a final date for Najib to begin house arrest.
As of the publicly verified information available on the morning of November 8, no completed transfer to his residence had been confirmed.
Further developments will depend on official instructions and the resolution of outstanding legal questions.
The case has drawn attention to the relationship between constitutional pardons, court orders and the execution of separate criminal sentences in Malaysia.
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