Mon Jan 06 14:14:56 IST 2025: ## Jailed Ex-PM Najib Razak Wins Appeal, Could Face House Arrest
**Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia** – A Malaysian appeals court has granted a controversial appeal by former Prime Minister Najib Razak, allowing him to argue in the High Court that a royal decree entitles him to serve his 12-year prison sentence under house arrest. The 2-1 ruling on Monday overturned a lower court decision that dismissed Najib’s claim.
Najib, 71, is serving time for his role in the multi-billion dollar 1MDB scandal. While the pardons board, chaired by the former King, halved his sentence to six years in February 2022, Najib alleges an accompanying, unexecuted order granted him house arrest. The appeals court agreed that the existence of this order was not challenged and therefore should be considered.
However, Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail stated that the prisons department never received notification of any such order from the former king. The government, he emphasized, will fully comply with any royal orders it receives.
Najib’s lawyer, Muhammad Shafee Abdullah, expressed his client’s relief at the court’s decision, suggesting it acknowledged an injustice. Najib maintains his innocence in all charges related to 1MDB, despite Malaysian and US investigators estimating that $4.5 billion was stolen from the fund, with over $1 billion linked to Najib’s accounts. He remains on trial for corruption in other 1MDB-related cases. The ruling marks a rare victory for Najib, who remains a highly divisive figure in Malaysia.
First Piper 