Malaysia attorney-general’s office says house arrest bids must go to pardons board

KUALA LUMPUR – Malaysia’s attorney-general’s office said all petitions for prisoners in Malaysia to serve their sentences under house arrest, including jailed former Prime Minister Najib Razak, must be submitted to the pardons board chaired by the country’s king.

Najib is serving a six-year jail sentence for corruption linked to the multibillion-dollar 1MDB scandal.

The Court of Appeal is set to hear on Jan. 6 a bid by Najib to overturn a lower court decision in July that struck out his request to confirm the existence of and execute a royal order entitling him to serve his sentence under house arrest.  

In a statement on Saturday, the attorney-general’s office said that under the constitution the king has the power to grant pardons, postpone sentences, relieve punishments for any offences, as well as commute, suspend or mitigate any punishments imposed by a court. 

“If any party wishes to propose that any prisoner, including Najib Razak, serve the remainder of his sentence under house arrest, an application should be submitted for consideration by the pardons board chaired by the king, according to established legal procedures and channels,” the office said.

The office said under the constitution, decisions made by the king on the advice of the pardons board could not be challenged in court for being unlawful.

Malaysia practices a unique form of monarchy, where the country’s nine sultans take turns to be king for a five-year reign.