By Rozanna Latiff and Ashley Tang
KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 12 (Reuters) – Former Malaysian prime minister Najib Razak, who was moved from jail this week to serve the rest of his sentence for a graft conviction at home, can be returned to prison if he breaches any conditions of his house arrest, the interior minister said on Thursday.
Najib, who was prime minister from 2009 to 2018, was sent to jail four years ago after being found guilty in a case linked to 1Malaysia Development Berhad, a state investment fund he co-founded while in power.
On Tuesday, Najib was transferred to his home in one of Kuala Lumpur’s most exclusive suburbs after King Sultan Ibrahim in September gave him a royal pardon that allowed him to serve the remainder of his sentence under house arrest.
US investigators say at least $4.5 billion was stolen from 1MDB in a complex scheme that spanned the world, embroiling Hollywood stars and top banks, and leading to the downfall of Najib’s government.
Najib, 73, can live with immediate family members, including “any wives, children, in-laws and grandchildren”, but will not be allowed to make any public statements, attend public gatherings or engage in political activities, Home Affairs Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail told parliament on Thursday, detailing the terms of the house arrest for the first time.
The ex-premier is barred from using phones or other telecommunication devices, accepting visitors, or moving from the premises without prior permission from the Prisons Department, the minister said. He did not say if Najib was fitted with a monitoring tag.
Najib must also attend a rehabilitation programme and will be immediately returned to jail if he violates any conditions, Saifuddin said.
Saifuddin said he was considering several requests from Najib, but had rejected an appeal to add a second residence, as only one property was listed on the original pardon order.
September’s royal pardon was Najib’s second, after the country’s previous king halved his original 12-year sentence in 2024.
The former prime minister also faces an additional 15-year jail sentence after being convicted of corruption in a second 1MDB-linked case last year, and is appealing that verdict.
Najib has denied wrongdoing and maintains he was made a scapegoat over 1MDB. Prosecutors have said more than $1 billion flowed to accounts linked to Najib.
‘NO DOUBLE STANDARDS’
Saifuddin on Thursday denied accusations of double standards, after lawmakers raised concerns over unequal sentencing between ordinary people and those in power.
Anyone who has been convicted and sentenced can seek a pardon after exhausting all other legal processes, Saifuddin said.
“That is everyone’s right. The rich, the poor, ordinary or powerful. That is what the law provides,” he said.
Saifuddin said he would also recommend the government declassify the minutes from the pardons board that advised the king on Najib’s bid for clemency to provide transparency on the process.
The king, a position held in rotation by Malaysia’s nine regional sultans, plays a largely ceremonial role but has constitutional authority to grant pardons.
Transparency International Malaysia president Raymon Ram said while the king’s constitutional prerogative must be respected, legitimate concerns over fairness, accountability and equal treatment before the law should still be addressed.
“Any perception of preferential treatment risks weakening confidence in our institutions and the credibility of our commitment to the rule of law,” he told Reuters.
Anti-graft activists called on the government to introduce a framework governing house arrest, covering the types of crimes, who qualifies and the procedures involved.
“You cannot provide house arrest to some for corruption, and let others languish in jail,” said Jerald Joseph, director of human rights organisation Pusat Komas.
(Reporting by Rozanna Latiff and Ashley Tang; Editing by David Stanway and Kate Mayberry)
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