Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s legal team has filed an application to stay the execution of his sentence in the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) case following a conditional pardon in a related case. The request comes after Najib was granted a conditional pardon by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong in the SRC International Sdn Bhd matter, which allows him to serve the remainder of that prison sentence under house arrest upon payment of a RM50 million fine.

Najib’s lead counsel, Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah, explained at a press conference that the defence had initially refrained from seeking a stay on the 1MDB sentence—comprising a 15-year jail term and a RM11.38 billion fine—when it was handed down by the High Court on December 26 last year. At that time, Najib was still serving the SRC International sentence. However, with the recent pardon permitting house arrest, the defence has now filed to halt the 1MDB sentence’s enforcement pending further legal considerations.

Under the earlier court ruling by Justice Collin Lawrence Sequerah, who has since been elevated to the Federal Court, the prison terms for 1MDB were ordered to commence only after Najib completed his sentence related to SRC International. Muhammad Shafee noted that despite announcements regarding the conditional pardon, Najib has yet to receive the formal documentation.

The case management for the stay application was held yesterday before High Court judge Noor Ruwena Md Nordin, who scheduled a hearing on the matter for October 14. The defence also submitted a certificate of urgency to expedite proceedings. Deputy public prosecutor Mohamad Mustaffa P. Kunyalam indicated the prosecution’s intention to file a response, with the judge requesting that all submissions be made by October 13.

Najib was convicted on December 26, 2025, of all 25 charges brought against him in relation to 1MDB, which included abuse of power and money laundering involving RM2.28 billion. The High Court found he had misappropriated funds while holding office. Najib appeared in court yesterday for the first time since receiving the conditional pardon, accompanied by his wife Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor and daughter Nooryana Najwa, who were present at the court complex.