Civil Society Groups Demand Clarity on Najib Razak House Arrest

Civil society groups including Bersih, Projek Sama, and the Center to Combat Corruption and Cronyism (C4 Center) are calling on the judiciary to resolve a legal ambiguity in a Kuala Lumpur High Court order concerning former Prime Minister Najib Razak. The groups argue that the wording of the November 6 order could be misinterpreted to imply that Najib's six-year sentence in the SRC International case is complete, which would immediately trigger his 15-year term in the 1MDB-Tanore case.

The Attorney-General’s Chambers has requested a deferment to clarify the legal effect of the Order of Discharge following Najib's payment of a RM50 million fine. In response, the advocacy groups have demanded the full disclosure of the attorney-general's written opinion and the minutes of the Federal Territories Pardons Board meeting to ensure transparency.

These organizations warn that political pressure to accelerate the house arrest process could undermine the rule of law. They maintain that any attempt to make the current legal ambiguity unchallengeable in court would alter the basic character of Malaysia as a constitutional monarchy grounded in parliamentary democracy.