Former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak will remain in prison after the Pardons Board deferred his clemency bid to a future meeting, amid ongoing legal and political developments surrounding his corruption convictions.
The Federal Territories Pardons Board, presided over by His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar, convened on Friday, September 11, 2026, and made the decision to defer former Prime Minister Najib Razak’s application for a royal pardon to a later date. The announcement was issued by the Legal Affairs Division of the Prime Minister’s Office, confirming that while the King consented to the deferral, the board also approved the release of 65 other prisoners, with non-citizens to be repatriated within six months.
Najib, 73, is currently serving a 12-year sentence at Kajang Prison stemming from his July 2020 conviction on three counts of criminal breach of trust, three counts of money laundering, and one count of abuse of power. The case involved the misappropriation of RM42 million from SRC International, a former subsidiary of state fund 1MDB. In January 2024, he received a partial royal pardon that halved his sentence and reduced his fine from RM210 million to RM50 million, with his scheduled release date set for August 23, 2028. His recent application also reportedly explored the possibility of serving the remainder under house arrest — a claim rooted in an unenforced addendum from the previous reign, which the High Court ruled was not legally binding.
The political dimension of the case remains significant. Najib retains strong backing within the Barisan Nasional coalition, particularly from UMNO, which is part of the Unity Government led by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim. Tensions emerged this week between coalition partners: Pakatan Harapan reaffirmed that those convicted of corruption should serve their full sentences, while UMNO defended the constitutional powers of the Pardons Board and the King. UMNO President Ahmad Zahid Hamidi expressed hope for a favourable outcome, while stressing that all must respect the due process of law.
Najib faces further legal challenges. In December 2025, the High Court convicted him on 25 additional charges of abuse of power and money laundering related to RM2.2 billion misappropriated from 1MDB, sentencing him to another 15 years’ imprisonment — to commence after his current term ends. He has filed an appeal against this verdict.
The board’s decision to defer means no timeline has been set for reconsideration, and Najib will continue serving his sentence as scheduled. The Pardons Board includes the Attorney-General, Federal Territories Minister Hannah Yeoh, and three other members, operating under Article 42(1) of Malaysia’s Federal Constitution.
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