Najib Razak begins house arrest under strict political ban
- Najib Razak began serving house arrest at his Kuala Lumpur residence on Nov 10, 2026.
- The former prime minister is strictly prohibited from political activity and media appearances.
- Immediate family members are permitted to reside with Najib during his house arrest.
- Home Minister Saifuddin warned that any breach of conditions will lead to an immediate return to prison.
- The house arrest follows a conditional royal pardon and the payment of a RM50 million fine.
The High Court issued a new conditional release order that day, cancelling a previous discharge order to authorize his transfer from prison. This move follows the granting of royal clemency to the former leader.
The Malaysian attorney general attempted to stop the transfer of Najib to house arrest on Nov 6, 2026. Despite his transition to house arrest, Najib faces the potential for an additional prison sentence.
Najib served as chairman of the Barisan Nasional coalition from April 2009 to May 2018. He also held the position of president of the United Malays National Organisation from November 2008 to May 2018.
Strict conditions prohibit political activity and media use
Najib Razak is prohibited from engaging in political activities. He cannot make media appearances or issue media statements. He is also banned from using social media.
Najib can only use telecommunications devices registered with the Prisons Department for monitoring purposes. On November 11, 2026, Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said he would provide clarification on these restrictions.
Family permitted to reside with former prime minister
Najib is authorized to reside with his immediate family members during his house arrest. Parliament was informed that Najib is restricted to living only with these family members.
Only his immediate family members are permitted to live with him at the residence; others require written permission.
Home Minister warns of prison return for rule violations
Authorities have warned that Najib will be sent back to jail if he fails to comply with these rules.
Conditional pardon follows RM50 million fine payment
Najib Razak secured his release from Kajang Prison after paying a RM50 million ($12.3 million) fine. This payment fulfilled a condition set by Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar in September 2026.
The Pardons Board previously reduced his 12-year sentence to six years and lowered the fine from RM210 million to RM50 million in 2024.
The Pardons Board denied his request to include a second residence in the house arrest arrangements.
Monitoring and security arrangements at Jalan Langgak Duta
The Pardons Board established four categories of restrictions for Najib covering his residence, personal associations, movement, visitors, use of telecommunications devices, and participation in rehabilitation programs.
Three prison officers work each of the three daily shifts at his residence. Police also monitor the property through fixed deployments.
This deployment of prison personnel does not incur additional costs because the officers were reassigned from Kajang Prison.
Legal status of SRC International and 1MDB cases
The current house arrest arrangement applies only to the SRC International sentence.
Sultan Ibrahim emphasizes clarity of royal decree
Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar described the conditional pardon as “clear, explicit and without any ambiguity”.
The Malaysian king issued this warning against any defiance of the house arrest order for Najib.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Najib barred from politics under house arrest; family allowed to stay with him (channelnewsasia.com)
- Najib Razak (Wikipedia — background) (en.wikipedia.org)
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