Najib Razak Seeks Stay of 15-Year Prison Sentence

Former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak has requested that the Kuala Lumpur High Court suspend a 15-year prison sentence stemming from a December conviction in a corruption case linked to the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) scandal.

The request follows a conditional royal pardon from King Sultan Ibrahim, which permits Najib to serve the remainder of a separate sentence under house arrest until August 2028. This arrangement is contingent upon the payment of a 50 million ringgit fine.

Najib's lawyer, Muhammad Shafee Abdullah, stated that the former leader cannot pay the fine because authorities have frozen many of his assets. In response, the United Malays National Organisation has launched a fundraising campaign to secure the necessary funds. The Kuala Lumpur High Court is scheduled to rule on the stay of the additional sentence on October 14.