Malaysia halts transfer of ex-PM Najib to house arrest, says legal review needed

KUALA LUMPUR – Malaysia has temporarily postponed a plan to transfer jailed former prime minister Najib Razak to house arrest, the attorney-general’s office said on Nov 6, saying it needed time to review a pardon issued by the king and a court order allowing the move.Najib, prime minister from 2009 to 2018, was found guilty of corruption in relation to the embezzlement of billions of dollars tied to 1Malaysia Development Berhad, a state investment fund he co-founded while in power. He has consistently denied wrongdoing.Malaysia’s King Sultan Ibrahim agreed in September to allow Najib to serve the remainder of his sentence under house arrest, in a second royal pardon over his conviction.Najib’s party, United Malays National Organisation, said on Nov 6 it had paid an RM50 million ringgit (S$15.8 million) fine needed to fulfil the pardon’s conditions on the former premier’s behalf.A Malaysian court then issued an order allowing Najib’s transfer home, his lawyer said earlier, adding the plan was for that to take place on Nov 6.Questions have arisen over the legal interpretation of the pardon and the subsequent court order, the Attorney-General’s Chambers said in a statement.“In this regard, the implementation of house arrest... should be temporarily suspended until further investigation and clarification... are completed,” it said. REUTERS