KUALA LUMPUR (AP) – Malaysia’s imprisoned former prime minister Najib Razak is seeking to serve the rest of his prison term under house arrest, two months after his sentence in a corruption case was reduced by half.
His surprise application filed on Monday said he had “clear information” that then-king Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah issued an order during the January 29 pardon’s board meeting, which cut his 12-year jail sentence by half and sharply reduced a fine, allowing him to finish his sentence under house arrest.
Najib asked the court to have the government verify and carry out the order. His application was due to be heard on Thursday but was postponed to April 17.
Sultan Abdullah hails from Najib’s hometown of Pahang. He ended his five-year reign on January 30 under Malaysia’s unique rotating monarchy system. A new king took office on January 31.
Najib, 70, has served less than two years of his sentence, supposed to end on August 23, 2028, after his sentence was commuted. He was charged and found guilty in a corruption case linked to the multibillion-dollar looting of state fund 1MDB.
In his application, he accused the pardons board, home minister and the attorney-general among seven entities of concealing the sultan’s order “in bad faith”.
Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail told reporters later on Thursday that he has “no knowledge” of such an order, adding that he wasn’t a member of the pardons board.
The others named in the application couldn’t be immediately reached for comment.
Najib set up the 1MDB development fund shortly after he took office in 2009. Investigators allege at least USD4.5 billion was stolen from the fund and laundered by Najib’s associates through layers of bank accounts in the United States and other countries and financed Hollywood films and extravagant purchases that included hotels, a luxury yacht, art and jewellery. More than USD700 million landed in Najib’s bank accounts.
