Former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak's bid for a royal pardon is back on the agenda for the Federal Territories Pardons Board meeting scheduled for September 18. This comes just one week after his application was deferred at a previous meeting on September 11. Sources describe this as a highly unusual and rare move, with speculation of potential intervention given that such sessions are typically scheduled at the executive branch's prerogative and not immediately after a deferment with a single item on the agenda.
Najib, 73, began serving a 6-year jail term in August 2022 due to a graft conviction related to the 1MDB scandal. His original 12-year sentence and a $50 million (RM210 million) fine were halved and reduced respectively by the Pardons Board in January 2024. He also faces a separate 15-year sentence and an $2.4 billion (RM11.4 billion) fine from another 1MDB case, which is set to begin after his current term concludes in August 2028.
The deferment on September 11 was consented to by Malaysia's King, Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar, who chairs the Pardons Board. The King also approved the release of 65 other prisoners at that meeting. Federal Territories Minister Hannah Yeoh, a member of the board, confirmed that the ultimate decision regarding Najib's pardon rests with the King, as per Article 42 of the Federal Constitution. She had provided her views honestly and with the nation's best interests in mind during the earlier meeting.
Najib's political party, UMNO, which is part of the current unity government, has expressed hope for his clemency. However, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim's Pakatan Harapan coalition has stressed that those convicted of corruption should serve their full sentences, highlighting potential tension within the government regarding this high-profile case. Najib had also previously sought to compel the government to execute an "addendum order" for him to serve his sentence under house arrest, but this was ruled unenforceable by the High Court in 2025.
