House arrest – Najib expected to leave Kajang Prison, arrive at Langgak Duta around 7.30pm

KUALA LUMPUR – Datuk Seri Najib Razak is expected to be transferred from Kajang Prison to his Langgak Duta residence today (Nov 10) to serve the remainder of his sentence in the SRC International case under house arrest until Aug 23, 2028.

His lawyer, Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah, said the Kuala Lumpur High Court's clarification on Tuesday had removed doubts over the house arrest order decreed by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong on Sept 18.

Speaking to reporters after the court proceedings, Shafee said the hearing went smoothly and the court had issued a straightforward order to give effect to the royal pardon.

He said the original order clearly stated that Najib could serve the remainder of his prison sentence at home, subject to payment of the RM50 million fine.

“The order mentioned two things. One is that Datuk Seri Najib will have the opportunity to go back and serve the balance of his imprisonment term for the SRC case at home. That is house imprisonment,” he said.

Shafee said the second condition was payment of the RM50 million fine, which was settled on Nov 6 after Umno raised about RM52 million.

He said the court's involvement was necessary to receive the fine, as the original penalty had been imposed by the judiciary, but argued that implementing the pardon itself fell outside the court's role.

“The process of justice is what you go through the court. But when justice ends, that is when mercy takes over. When the process of pardon takes over, the court is excluded,” he said.

Shafee said prison authorities had sought clarification to remove any remaining uncertainty over the order.

He added that Najib would first return to Kajang Prison, where the relevant conditions and formalities would be explained to him before his transfer to his residence.

“He will be told what is expected of him at No. 11, Langgak Duta,” he said, adding that the transfer was expected to take place on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, lawyer Muhammad Farhan Muhammad Shafee said Najib was expected to arrive at his Langgak Duta residence at around 7.30pm, taking into account the time needed for the transfer from Kajang Prison and the journey home.

Shafee said he had been informed by a prison officer that the officer was waiting to collect the sealed court order to carry out the transfer at Kajang Prison.

He said house arrest would still impose restrictions on Najib, who would not be allowed to leave his residence without special permission or a valid reason.

However, Shafee said the defence team had yet to be informed of the specific conditions governing the arrangement, which he expected prison authorities would communicate to Najib.

He also said visitors would still need permission to meet the former prime minister.

Asked whether the Attorney-General could appeal against the court's clarification, Shafee said he did not believe an appeal would be pursued, adding that the parties had agreed to seek clarification on the order.

Shafee also criticised the delay in implementing the royal order, saying the failure to give effect to the King's wishes had undermined the royal institution.

He also explained that Najib's absence from Kajang Prison for more than four hours on Nov 6 was due to a medical examination and a dental appointment arranged several months earlier.

He said the appointment had to be attended even after Najib began serving his sentence under house arrest, as medical visits would still have to be arranged through the prison.

On Najib's next legal proceedings, Shafee said the defence was awaiting physical copies of the voluminous court proceedings in the 1MDB case before proceeding with the appeal.

He said the team was keen to have the appeal heard but could not confirm when it would take place. –THE STAR