'Najib told to keep mum on details of house arrest conditions'

Former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak has received the Prison Department’s standard operating procedures (SOP) for the implementation of his house arrest, his lawyer Shafee Abdullah confirmed today.

However, Shafee (above) stated that Najib was told by the department not to disclose the details to the public and the press...

Former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak has received the Prison Department’s standard operating procedures (SOP) for the implementation of his house arrest, his lawyer Shafee Abdullah confirmed today.

However, Shafee (above) stated that Najib was told by the department not to disclose the details to the public and the press.

“Yes, it’s true, Najib has indeed been issued an order by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, and that order includes an appendix detailing the terms and conditions (of the house arrest) attached to (the document).

“However, we cannot disclose the details to you - or rather, Najib cannot - because the Prison Department has instructed him not to reveal them as the information is intended only for him.

“The reasoning is that if the details were made public, the press and the general public would start ‘spinning’ all sorts of stories and debating the matters,” he told reporters when met at the Kuala Lumpur courthouse.

Shafee also confirmed that Najib’s house arrest will take place at his residence in Langgak Duta, and that he will be with his family.

Previously, Berita Harian reported on Oct 7 that the Prime Minister’s Department Legal Affairs Division director-general Zamri Misman confirmed that the house arrest SOP has been given to Najib.

Najib, 73, is currently serving his prison sentence for seven criminal charges related to SRC International Sdn Bhd.

He was previously sentenced to 12 years in jail and fined RM210 million in 2020. He began serving his jail term two years later.

Clemency granted

In 2024, the Federal Territories Pardons Board halved his jail time to six years and reduced his fine to RM50 million, which brought forward his release date to Aug 23, 2028.

On Sept 18 this year, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Ibrahim granted Najib a conditional pardon, allowing him to serve the remainder of his sentence under house arrest until Aug 23, 2028, subject to payment of a RM50 million fine.

Subsequently, Umno launched a fundraising campaign to secure Najib’s release. However, its current total collections remain unclear.

Meanwhile, Shafee said that he was not privy to the fundraising updates when pressed by the media.

“I do not know, that’s not my job. I wish it’s my job, but it’s not.”

Earlier today, the Kuala Lumpur High Court had dismissed Najib’s application to stay the execution of his sentences linked to 1MDB charges, after finding that there were no merits or special circumstances for a stay.