Malaysia’s Prime Minister, Anwar Ibrahim, on Tuesday refrained from addressing questions about a supposed royal decree that might allow jailed former Prime Minister Najib Razak to serve his prison term under house arrest.
Najib, who served as Malaysia’s Prime Minister from 2009 to 2018, was sentenced to 12 years in prison in August 2022 after the nation’s highest court upheld his conviction in a corruption case tied to the multibillion-dollar 1MDB scandal. However, earlier this year, his sentence was reduced to six years by a pardons board led by the former King, Al-Sultan Abdullah, shortly before his reign ended in January.
Malaysia’s monarchy operates on a rotational system, with the throne alternating among the country’s nine sultans every five years. Since April, Najib has been seeking a legal directive to confirm and implement an “addendum order” that he claims was issued by the former king. This document, Najib asserts, would allow him to serve the rest of his prison term at home.
Addressing parliament on Tuesday, Anwar cited parliamentary rules that prevent discussions on matters under judicial review. He confirmed presenting Najib’s pardon request to the king, emphasizing the former premier’s right to appeal. However, Anwar clarified that he was not involved in the pardons board’s decision to halve Najib’s sentence.
“The matter cannot be discussed until it is resolved in court or addressed by the king,” Anwar said, adding that the issue had been referred to the current king, Sultan Ibrahim, for further consideration.
The Court of Appeal is scheduled to hear Najib’s application on January 6, 2024, following a lower court’s dismissal of the case in July. Last week, Najib’s son submitted an affidavit claiming he had received a copy of the alleged addendum from Al-Sultan Abdullah’s royal household, though the document’s contents remain undisclosed.
Meanwhile, the legal adviser to Malaysia’s Pahang state, where Al-Sultan Abdullah resides, announced on Tuesday that the state palace would not comment on the matter to respect ongoing court proceedings, as reported by Malaysia’s national news agency, Bernama.