Malaysia’s former prime minister, Najib Razak, found himself in the center of a legal battle as he sought to serve his sentence at home. This move came after being jailed over the multibillion-dollar 1MDB scandal, which rocked the nation. The appeals court in Malaysia recently granted Najib’s bid to access a document that he believes entitles him to house arrest – a rare victory for a disgraced leader.
Najib had previously appealed a lower court decision that rejected his plea to confirm the existence and enforce a royal order allowing him house detention. The Malaysian pardons board, chaired by the then-Malaysian king al-Sultan Abdullah Ahmad Shah, decided to reduce Najib’s jail term from 12 years to 6 years and lessen fines imposed on him last year, causing public outrage.
According to Najib, an “addendum order” regarding house arrest was issued by the former king but was never carried out by authorities. In a recent ruling by the Court of Appeal with a majority vote of two to one, Najib’s appeal was granted, overturning the previous dismissal by the lower court. Consequently, the case is set to be reheard at the High Court with a different judge presiding.
Najib’s lawyer expressed his client’s relief and happiness at this development during a news conference post-decision. Furthermore, an unexpected turn occurred during court proceedings when one of Najib’s aides shared a letter from al-Sultan Abdullah’s palace confirming the validity of a royal order granting Najib home detention – marking its public acknowledgment for the first time.
The Malaysian constitution grants authority to monarchs (rotating every five years) under their unique monarchy system to make decisions on pardons based on advice from a pardons board.
In conclusion, this legal saga surrounding Najib Razak sheds light on Malaysia’s judicial system and raises questions about accountability and justice within its leadership ranks.
