Malaysia’s Jailed Ex-PM Najib Withdraws Appeal For Home Detention

by Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Chief International Correspondent

KUALA LUMPUR (Worthy News) – Jailed former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak has withdrawn an appeal against a court ruling rejecting his request to serve the remainder of his sentence under house arrest, marking another setback in the long-running 1MDB corruption saga.

Najib, who served as prime minister from 2009 to 2018, has been in prison since August 2022 after Malaysia’s top court upheld his conviction for corruption, criminal breach of trust, and money laundering.

The financial and business news outlet The Edge Malaysia reported the development, citing court documents and correspondence between Najib’s lawyers and the Court of Appeal dated April 3 and April 6.

He had sought to serve the remainder of his sentence at home after a pardons board chaired by Malaysia’s then king halved his sentence in 2024.

However, the Kuala Lumpur High Court rejected the house arrest bid in December, prompting the appeal that has now been formally withdrawn without leave to file a fresh appeal.

LEGAL SETBACK

Najib’s lawyers and Malaysia’s Attorney General’s Chambers did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The withdrawal effectively closes off one of the remaining legal avenues available to the former premier.

The case is tied to the multibillion-dollar 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) scandal, widely seen as one of the largest financial fraud cases in recent history.

Malaysian and U.S. investigators say billions of dollars were misappropriated from the fund, with large sums allegedly traced to accounts linked to Najib.

Najib has consistently denied wrongdoing, although he has previously apologized for what he described as shortcomings in the handling of the fund.

1MDB SCANDAL

In a separate case concluded in December, Najib was sentenced to an additional prison term and fined billions of dollars after being found guilty of abuse of power and money laundering in another major trial tied to the scandal.

The latest move to withdraw the appeal is likely to limit his legal options further as he continues to challenge multiple convictions related to the 1MDB affair.

The 72-year-old former leader remains one of the most prominent figures linked to the scandal, which has drawn global attention and investigations across several countries.

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