Malaysia Graft Case: Ex-PM Najib Pays Fine for House Arrest
The United Malays National Organization paid a 50 million ringgit fine on Friday, fulfilling the condition for Najib Razak to serve his reduced sentence at home.
By Scott Marshall ·
Najib Razak, the former Prime Minister of Malaysia, is preparing to leave prison to serve the remainder of his sentence under house arrest. His political party completed payment of a 50 million ringgit fine, approximately $12.3 million, on Friday. This payment was a specific condition attached to the royal pardon granted by King Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar in September.
Najib, 73, has been incarcerated since August 2022. His conviction stems from the first trial related to the misappropriation of funds from 1MDB, a state investment fund he established in 2009. The original sentence was 12 years in prison and a fine of 210 million ringgit. In January 2024, the Pardons Board reduced his sentence to six years and lowered the fine to 50 million ringgit.
The house arrest applies exclusively to this reduced six-year term. It does not cover a separate 15-year sentence imposed in December 2025. That second conviction involved corruption and money laundering charges from a different trial linked to the 1MDB scandal. Najib is currently appealing that second sentence.
Asyraf Wajid Dusuki, secretary-general of the United Malays National Organization, confirmed the payment. He stated that the party collected sufficient funds through a donation drive and deposited the money at the High Court earlier Friday. The timing of his physical transfer from prison to his home was not immediately clear, though police were present at his Kuala Lumpur residence early Friday morning.
Investigators determined that at least $4.5 billion was stolen from 1MDB. They said associates of Najib laundered the money through bank accounts in the United States and other countries. The funds allegedly financed Hollywood films, hotels, a luxury yacht, art, and jewelry. In 2020, he was found guilty of abuse of power, criminal breach of trust, and money laundering involving 42 million ringgit channeled into his personal accounts from SRC International.
Najib remains influential within the United Malays National Organization, which is part of the government that took power in 2022. The 1MDB scandal contributed to the coalition's defeat in the 2018 elections, ending a period of rule that began with independence in 1957. If he loses his appeal on the second trial, he could return to prison after his current house arrest period ends in August 2028.
