Three Years On Najib Hopes To Trade Prison Cell For House Arrest

---

 
FORMER premier Datuk Seri Najib Razak, jailed since 2022 over the multi-billion-dollar 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) scandal, marked three years behind bars with a poetic reflection on prison life, even as he secured a major legal breakthrough in his fight to serve his sentence under house arrest.
In a pensive note shared publicly, Najib described his daily prison routine – from hearing the call to prayer at dawn to kneeling on a sejadah mat he called his “faithful companion”.
He said prayers from family and supporters remain his strength.
“Three years have passed… the prayer mat has been my companion. That moment will come. When…” he wrote, hinting at his belief that justice will prevail.
On Aug 13, the Federal Court ruled unanimously that an addendum order allegedly issued by former King Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah – said to allow Najib to serve the rest of his reduced six-year sentence under house arrest – does exist.
However, the court said it lacked jurisdiction to confirm its validity and referred the matter to the High Court, with a hearing set for Aug 18.
Najib’s lawyer Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah urged the government to honour the decree, saying, “The minute the King signed the order, you cannot question his decision.”
The ruling is expected to intensify pressure from UMNO, Najib’s party, for his transfer to house arrest. Najib, ousted in 2018 amid public fury over 1MDB, still faces trial in the largest case linked to the scandal, with closing arguments due in October. —  Focus Malaysia

---