THE Pardons Board meeting on January 29 did not discuss allowing Najib Razak to serve his jail term at home, Channel NewsAsia reports.

Citing unnamed government officials, the report said the issue was not discussed by the six-member Pardons Board when it ruled on the former prime minister’s pardon application.

The government sources told CNA that Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah, then king and chairman of the Pardons Board, had issued a supplementary order for Najib’s house arrest “before he completed his five-year reign in end-January”. 

The report said the Attorney-General’s Chamber had objected to placing Najib under house arrest instead of jail because the supplementary order was not brought up in the January 29 meeting.

On February 2, the Pardons Board announced that it has halved Najib’s 12-year jail sentence for stealing  RM42 million from SRC International. It also reduced Najib’s RM210 million fine to RM50 million. This means the former leader will be freed on August 23, 2028 or even earlier

The board said it made the decision after a meeting on January 29. It did not give a reason for approving Najib’s request for a pardon. 

On Monday, Najib filed to the Kuala Lumpur High Court for leave to serve the remainder of his jail term under house arrest. 

In his application, Najib said the terms for his house arrest were set out in addendum to his royal pardon.

He is seeking a court order to compel the home minister, the attorney-general, the Pardons Board, the federal government, and other respondents to affirm the addendum.

Najib said the addendum was issued by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong on January 29.

Court documents stated the king had “immediately or simultaneously issued an addendum order on the same day (Jan 29) stipulating that Najib be allowed to serve the reduced sentence of his imprisonment under condition of home arrest instead of confinement in Kajang Prison.” 

The case will be heard before a high court on April 17.

In 2020, Najib was convicted of involvement in the multibillion-dollar 1MDB scandal. He began serving his sentence in August 2022.

Yesterday Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said he was unaware of any supplementary order.

The government has yet to issue a statement on the case.

CNA said the prime minister’s office would not be making a statement on the matter, quoting a government spokesman. – April 5, 2024.