KUALA LUMPUR: The Attorney-General’s Chambers (A-GC) has called for a temporary suspension of Najib Razak’s house arrest pending clarification of the legal implications of his conditional royal pardon.
In a statement, the A-GC said Najib’s existing detention arrangements should remain unchanged until questions surrounding the interpretation of the pardon and a High Court discharge order were resolved.
The statement followed the payment of Najib’s RM50 million fine by Umno and a High Court order on Thursday directing his immediate release, subject to the remainder of his SRC International prison sentence being served under house arrest until Aug 23, 2028.
The A-GC said two possible interpretations had emerged from the conditional pardon granted by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong on Sept 18.
The first was that payment of the fine only fulfilled the financial component of the sentence, leaving the prison term in force, with house arrest serving as an alternative arrangement.
AGC
The second interpretation was that payment of the fine could mean the entire SRC International sentence, including imprisonment, had been completed.
The chambers said the issue could also affect Najib’s separate 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) sentence, which was scheduled to begin after completion of his SRC sentence.
It stressed that the temporary suspension was not intended to challenge the King’s decree but to ensure that the royal pardon and court orders were implemented in accordance with the law.
Najib’s detention status would therefore be maintained at his existing place of detention pending definitive legal clarification.
