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Former Malaysian prime minister Najib Razak has returned home from prison to serve the remainder of his sentence under house arrest following his conviction in corruption cases.
The 73-year-old arrived at his residence in Kuala Lumpur in an SUV under heavy armed police escort on Tuesday night, drawing a large gathering of journalists outside his home.
Najib had spent four years in prison after being convicted in cases linked to the multibillion-dollar 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) scandal.
He served as Malaysia’s prime minister from 2009 to 2018 and was convicted in two cases related to the scandal. In the first case, he was sentenced to 12 years in prison in 2020 and began serving his term in 2022. His sentence was later halved following an appeal.
In September, Malaysia’s king granted him a conditional pardon, allowing him to serve the remaining two years of his sentence at home instead of in prison. As part of the royal pardon, his party also had to pay a fine of $12 million.
The process was temporarily suspended following an application by the attorney general. However, the High Court on Tuesday ordered the immediate implementation of the house arrest arrangement. Najib’s residence in an upscale Kuala Lumpur neighbourhood had earlier been designated as a prison.
The 1MDB scandal, which came to light about a decade ago, led to the downfall of Najib’s government. Investigators estimate that around $4.5 billion was siphoned off from the state fund, while prosecutors alleged that more than $1 billion was deposited into Najib’s personal accounts.
The decision to transfer him from prison to house arrest has sparked strong criticism. Critics argue that it could weaken Malaysia’s fight against corruption and have questioned its legal basis, as the country’s existing laws do not provide for house arrest.
His current house arrest sentence is expected to end in August 2028. However, he is unlikely to be released then, as he received a separate 15-year prison sentence in December 2025 in another case involving the alleged misappropriation of 2.3 billion Malaysian ringgit, or $569 million, from 1MDB.
Najib is currently appealing against that verdict. He will have to serve the sentence in the second case after completing his current house arrest term.
