Sultan Ibrahim of Malaysia announced on Saturday that the Attorney General of the country is at risk of disobeying a royal decree due to the delay in Najib Razak's release from prison. He stressed that there is no ambiguity in the pardon granted to Najib.
Background of Najib Razak's Pardon
Najib, 73, was sentenced to prison for his role in the theft from the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) sovereign wealth fund. This case is considered one of the largest thefts in history from a sovereign wealth fund. In September, Sultan Ibrahim issued a conditional pardon for him, allowing Najib to serve the remainder of his sentence at home, provided he pays a fine of approximately $12 million.
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Delay in Executing the Pardon
On Friday, the Attorney General prevented Najib's transfer to house arrest after the fine was paid, stating that his office needed further clarification regarding the pardon. In response, Sultan Ibrahim said that there is nothing to clarify and that the issued pardon is "clear, explicit, and unambiguous." He also stated that this pardon is not related to any other cases against Najib.
Najib's lawyers thanked the King and stated that there is no reason to keep him in prison "even for a moment longer." His lawyer, Farhan Shafee, said: "They should immediately transfer him to his residence in Jalan Langkawi to begin his house arrest as per the King's order."
The Attorney General's office quickly responded, rejecting the claim that it is challenging the King's authority. The office did not provide any indication of whether Najib would be released immediately. They stated that this action was taken to prevent any conflict in executing existing orders and to ensure that no ruling is executed unlawfully.
Najib Razak was sentenced in 2020 to 12 years in prison and a hefty fine in cases related to 1MDB. He is currently serving his sentence for two separate convictions and will soon respond to new charges as well.
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