Malaysia court to hear appeal on house arrest bid by ex-PM Najib on Jan 6

MALAYSIA’S Court of Appeal will hear a bid by jailed former Prime Minister Najib Razak on Jan 6 to overturn a decision denying his request to obtain a document he said would allow him to serve his remaining prison sentence under house arrest, the attorney-general’s office said on Monday (Dec 9).

Najib, who is serving a six-year jail sentence for corruption linked to the massive 1MDB scandal, is seeking a judicial review to compel the government to execute a royal order entitling him to serve the remainder of his jail term at home.

Najib maintains that an “addendum order” was issued by Malaysia’s former king alongside a pardons board decision made public in February to halve his prison sentence for graft in the multibillion-dollar 1MDB scandal from 12 years to six.

Najib’s lawyer, Muhammad Shafee Abdullah, said the ex-premier’s son filed an affidavit affirming he had received a copy of the addendum from Al-Sultan Abdullah’s royal household in Pahang state.

Muhammad Shafee declined to disclose the contents of the document, citing a protective order, but said it confirmed instructions for Najib to serve his sentence at home. REUTERS