No visitors, no internet: Inside the strict conditions determining Najib Razak’s return home

KUALA LUMPUR – Former Malaysian prime minister Najib Razak is home, but he is not free to come and go as he pleases under his house arrest.Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution told Parliament on Nov 12 that Najib is also allowed to reside with his family at his Kuala Lumpur residence.The conditions, set out by the Federal Territories Pardons Board and read to Najib before his transfer from Kajang Prison on Nov 10, cover four areas: residence and association, movement and visitors, the use of phones and telecommunications devices, and participation in rehabilitation programmes.“These conditions were not drawn up specifically for Najib, but also as preparation for similar cases in the future,” the minister told Parliament.Here are some other details governing the house arrest order:Who can live with Najib?Najib, 73, is allowed to share his home at 11, Jalan Langgak Duta, with his wives, children, their spouses and grandchildren without seeking prior approval.However, anyone outside these specified categories needs written permission from the Prisons Department to reside there. Visitors also require prior written approval.This contradicted a previous remark by UMNO leader Nurulhidayah Zahid, who said on Nov 11 that Najib’s wife, Rosmah Mansor, is expected to stay at another residence in Pavilion Kuala Lumpur instead.Can he leave the house?Najib must remain at the designated residence and cannot move to another property or leave without written permission from the authorities.He is not allowed to choose another place to serve his sentence. Saifuddin disclosed that Najib had requested a second residence for house arrest, but the request was rejected.“For now, we are bound by the Pardons Board decision, which specifies only one house. We cannot grant his request to add another house as an additional condition,” Saifuddin said on Nov 12.One exception is for Friday prayers, where Muslim men are required to attend a congregational prayer every week at a mosque.Najib will be transported by the Prisons Department to attend prayers, although Saifuddin did not specify any mosque or location.Can he use a phone or go online?Najib is barred from using telephones and other telecommunications devices unless they are registered with the Prisons Department.The devices are intended to allow the authorities to contact him.The restrictions could, however, raise practical questions about how they will be enforced when family members are living in the same house and have their own phones.Can he speak to the media or take part in politics?No. Saifuddin said Najib is barred from speaking to the media, appearing on social media, attending public events and engaging in political activities.It is less clear how the restrictions apply to political messages delivered by other people on his behalf.During campaigning for the upcoming Melaka state election on Nov 11, Najib’s daughter Nooryana Najwa was reported as relaying Najib’s message that Barisan Nasional is the best coalition to secure the future of younger generations.Whether such indirect communication falls within the restrictions was not clarified.What happens if he breaks the rules?Saifuddin said Najib could be returned to prison if he breached any of the conditions.“If the conditions are breached, the person will be immediately returned to Kajang Prison or any other prison determined by the Commissioner-General,” he said.The conditions also include participation in rehabilitation and intervention programmes.How long will his house arrest last?Najib began serving the remainder of his reduced six-year sentence in the SRC International case under house arrest on Nov 10. His sentence is due to end on Aug 23, 2028.The arrangement applies only to the SRC case. It does not cover a separate 15-year prison sentence imposed in December 2025 after his conviction in a second 1MDB-related case involving corruption and money laundering. Najib is appealing against that conviction.Unless he succeeds in overturning the separate conviction or obtains a stay of execution, he could return to prison after his house arrest ends.Sign up for our weekly Asian Insider Malaysia Edition newsletter to make sense of the big stories in Malaysia.