Najib Razak says he does not control payment of fine — Channel NewsAsia
In Malaysia, former Prime Minister Najib Razak said that payment of the 50 million ringgit fine, which is a condition of his transfer to house arrest, does not depend solely on him. As Channel NewsAsia reports, the politician’s lawyers explained that a significant portion of his assets, bank accounts and property remains frozen or is subject to government enforcement proceedings.
Condition of the pardon
The statement on Razak’s behalf was issued by the law firm Shafee & Co. on September 20. It said that control over these assets is not solely in the former prime minister’s hands. The lawyers said their client is consulting and considering options for fulfilling the condition regarding the fine.
On Friday, Malaysia’s King Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar granted Razak a conditional pardon, allowing him to serve the remainder of his sentence at home until August 23, 2028. The decision was made by the Federal Territories Pardons Board at its 64th meeting chaired by the monarch.
The legal division at Malaysia’s Prime Minister’s Department stressed that the conditional pardon is valid only if all requirements, including payment of 50 million ringgit, are met. If any of the conditions is not fulfilled, the pardon will be automatically revoked, and Razak must immediately serve the remainder of his sentence in prison.
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Conviction and imprisonment
According to the lawyers, Razak will remain at Kajang Prison until the fine is paid to the court. He has been serving his sentence since August 2022.
In July 2020, Razak was sentenced to 12 years in prison and fined 210 million ringgit on three counts of criminal breach of trust, three counts of money laundering and one count of abuse of power. The charges concerned the transfer of 42 million ringgit from SRC International, a former subsidiary of the state investment fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad, to his personal bank accounts in 2014 and 2015.
Following a partial royal pardon in January 2024, Razak’s prison term was halved and the fine was reduced to 50 million ringgit. The lawyers’ statement also said that the former prime minister thanked those who offered support but does not want the party, its members, supporters or the public to feel obligated to help him.
