King Grants Najib Razak Conditional Pardon and House Arrest

King Sultan Ibrahim ibni Sultan Iskandar granted a conditional pardon to former Prime Minister Najib Razak on September 18, 2026, allowing him to serve the remainder of his sentence in the SRC International case under house arrest until August 23, 2028. The decision followed the 64th meeting of the Federal Territories Pardons Board at Istana Negara. To qualify, Najib must pay a fine of RM50 million; the Legal Affairs Division of the Prime Minister’s Department warned that failure to comply with any conditions would result in the pardon being revoked and an immediate return to prison.

The decision followed a period of political tension and uncertainty. The Pardons Board had previously deferred Najib's application during a September 11 meeting. On September 18, Minister Hannah Yeoh denounced a house arrest order circulating on social media as a fake document before the board officially reconvened.

The pardon creates friction within the Madani government. While the United Malays National Organisation viewed the move as a victory, the Pakatan Harapan alliance had consistently argued that high-profile corruption convicts should serve full sentences. Rafizi Ramli called for the government to disclose the full terms of the arrest to the public. Conversely, leaders from the Malaysian Chinese Association and Malaysian Indian Congress expressed gratitude, stating that the pardon and judicial processes are separate constitutional functions that must both be respected.