Malaysia seeks gag order on Najib Razak’s house arrest bid

Malaysia seeks to ban parliament from discussing Najib’s bid to serve the rest of his sentence at home, creating a headache for PM Anwar

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Former Malaysian prime minister Najib Razak waves as he is escorted after attending court proceedings in Kuala Lumpur on January 19, 2024. Photo: Reuters

Published: 5:35pm, 13 Jan 2025Updated: 5:57pm, 13 Jan 2025

Malaysia on Monday was seeking to prevent public discourse on jailed former prime minister Najib Razak’s bid for house arrest, a week after his court victory led to political unease.

The gag order application, which was expected to be filed on January 20, also sought to prohibit the Malaysian parliament from discussing Najib’s attempt to serve the rest of his prison sentence at his own residence.

Last week, the former prime minister, who has been in jail since 2022 for crimes related to the 1MDB state investment fund, won a legal challenge that would allow his case for house arrest to be heard in Malaysia’s High Court.

Najib’s camp argued that Malaysia’s former king Sultan Abdullah Ahmad Shah had decreed for him to be detained at home, seeking a court order compelling the government to verify and execute the king’s wishes.

Najib’s fate was a political headache for Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, torn between appeasing key ally United Malays National Organisation (Umno) – which has long championed for its former leader Najib’s freedom – and upholding his credentials as a reformist and anti-corruption crusader among his core supporters.

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim attends the 43rd Asean Summit in Jakarta, Indonesia in September 2023. Photo: AFP

Last year, the former king halved Najib’s 12-year prison sentence and reduced his fine, prompting Anwar to call for public calm.