The Malaysian Home Ministry is awaiting formal written notification regarding the Pardons Board’s decision on the conditional pardon of former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak before proceeding with any related actions. Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail confirmed that neither the ministry nor the Prisons Department had yet received official documentation on the matter.
Speaking to reporters in Kulim, Kedah, Saifuddin Nasution explained that the official notification typically comes from the Legal Affairs Division of the Prime Minister’s Department, which serves as the secretariat for the Pardons Board. The written document is crucial to clarify the specific conditions and procedural steps that the ministry and the Prisons Department must follow under existing laws.
Reports have indicated that Najib may be allowed to serve his sentence under house arrest, but the Home Minister emphasized the need to review the official communication to understand the full details, including where the house arrest would take place and any specific conditions attached. “We will see from the Pardons Board’s decision whether it specifies the premises or leaves the matter to the Prisons Department,” he said, adding that house arrest involves serving a sentence at a designated location outside of prison, but the exact implementation depends on the terms set by the Pardons Board.
Saifuddin Nasution also said the ministry needed to determine whether the Pardons Board had solely made a decision or whether it had also delegated authority to the Prisons Department to carry out the arrangement. “We want to see whether there are other decisions that were considered, discussed and subsequently made. All these details will be conveyed to us in writing,” he added.
Currently, Malaysia has no specific legislation governing house arrest. The Home Minister noted that the government had earlier considered introducing a House Arrest Act, primarily as a strategy to alleviate overcrowding in prisons, especially among remand prisoners.
He explained that Malaysia’s prison population includes two main groups: convicted inmates serving sentences and remand prisoners awaiting trial. The inability of some remand detainees to secure bail due to the nature of their charges or bail conditions has contributed to high occupancy levels. With about 41 prisons nationwide, the total prison population stands at approximately 93,000, exceeding the capacity of 75,000.
Saifuddin Nasution mentioned that the proposed House Arrest Bill, pending parliamentary approval, would enable certain remand prisoners to serve their detention in their homes under electronic monitoring until their court proceedings conclude. This measure aims to address the persistent issue of prison overcrowding while maintaining judicial oversight.