Najib Razak's House Arrest Petition in Malaysia

KUALA LUMPUR – Malaysia's attorney-general's office announced that all requests for prisoners to serve their sentences under house arrest, including jailed former Prime Minister Najib Razak, must be submitted to the pardons board, overseen by the king.

Najib is currently serving a six-year sentence for corruption related to the 1MDB scandal. The Court of Appeal is scheduled to hear his appeal on Jan. 6 to overturn a previous court decision that denied his request to confirm a royal order allowing him house arrest.

In a statement, the attorney-general's office clarified that the king possesses constitutional powers to grant pardons, defer sentences, and mitigate penalties. Any party wishing to request house arrest for prisoners like Najib must follow legal procedures and submit their applications to the pardons board.

Furthermore, the office pointed out that the king's decisions, based on the board's advice, cannot be legally challenged.

Malaysia features a unique monarchy system, with the nine sultans rotating kingship every five years.