A Malaysian court on Wednesday rejected former prime minister Najib Razak’s request to suspend an additional 15-year prison sentence linked to the multibillion-dollar 1MDB corruption scandal.
Judge Noor Ruwena Md Nordin said there were no special circumstances justifying a stay of the sentence and dismissed the application.
Najib, 73, has been imprisoned since 2022 after Malaysia’s top court upheld his conviction for graft and money laundering linked to the alleged misappropriation of billions of dollars from 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), a state investment fund he co-founded while serving as prime minister in 2009. He denies wrongdoing.
Court Rejects Request to Delay Sentence
Najib’s lawyers had asked the Kuala Lumpur High Court to suspend a separate 15-year sentence imposed after he was convicted in another 1MDB corruption case in December last year.
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The additional sentence is scheduled to begin after his current term, which is expected to continue under house arrest until August 2028.
The latest ruling means Najib’s request to delay the additional prison term has been rejected, despite developments in a separate case that could change how he serves his existing sentence.
Conditional Royal Pardon
Last month, Malaysia’s King Sultan Ibrahim granted Najib a conditional pardon in the separate case, allowing him to serve the remainder of his sentence at home, provided he pays a fine of 50 million ringgit, equivalent to about $12.25 million.
The pardon had raised expectations that Najib could soon be transferred to house arrest.
However, the pardon relates to a separate case and does not automatically suspend the additional 15-year sentence arising from the other 1MDB conviction.
Background to the 1MDB Scandal
The 1MDB scandal involved allegations that billions of dollars were diverted from the state investment fund through an international network of transactions. The scandal triggered investigations in several countries and became one of the most prominent corruption cases in Malaysia’s history.
Najib’s legal proceedings have continued for years, with multiple convictions and sentencing decisions shaping his imprisonment.
Wednesday’s ruling marks another setback for the former premier as he seeks to delay the start of his additional sentence.
