Najib notified of house arrest rules; details to be released soon

By the Editorial Team · Thursday, October 8, 2026

Former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak has been briefed on the procedures for his house arrest following a conditional pardon that allows him to serve the remainder of his prison sentence at home. This move comes as the government finalizes a legal framework to regulate home detention for certain inmates, marking a shift in how remand prisoners may serve their sentences outside of traditional incarceration.

Malaysia’s former prime minister Najib Razak has been informed of the procedures governing his house arrest, according to Zamri Misman, director-general of the Legal Affairs Division. Zamri confirmed on October 7 that the standard operating procedures (SOP) related to Najib’s confinement have been communicated to him.

The announcement came during a media briefing in Parliament on the Parliamentary Services Act 2025. Minister of Law and Institutional Reform Azalina Othman Said, who was also present, declined to provide comments on the matter.

The Prisons Department is expected to release the details of the SOPs concerning Najib’s house arrest shortly. In a written response dated October 6, the Home Ministry clarified that the conditions tied to house arrest, including visitation and movement monitoring protocols, would be outlined in the relevant SOPs.

Without explicitly naming Najib Razak, the Home Ministry stressed that home confinement resulting from a conditional pardon differs from house arrest imposed under a planned legislative framework. The ministry stated that placement at home following a conditional pardon should not be equated directly with court-ordered house arrest under a specific legal act.

The Home Ministry also indicated that the House Arrest Bill, aimed at formalizing the legal basis for home detention of eligible remand prisoners awaiting trial, is still under final review by the Attorney-General’s Chambers. The Cabinet has in principle approved a framework to allow certain inmates to serve their remand periods at home as an alternative to incarceration.

Najib, who is 73 years old, began serving a prison sentence at Kajang Prison in Selangor on August 23, 2022, after being convicted of misappropriating RM42 million (approximately S$13.1 million) from SRC International, a former unit of Malaysia’s 1MDB state fund.

On September 18, Sultan Ibrahim, Malaysia’s King, granted Najib a conditional pardon. This pardon permits Najib to serve the remainder of his SRC International sentence under house arrest until August 23, 2028. The arrangement requires Najib to pay a RM50 million fine and comply with specified conditions set by authorities.

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