BESUT: The Prisons Department is in the final stages of drafting rules and conditions for former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak's house arrest, Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said.
He said the department, which is responsible for implementing Pardons Board decisions, had received a letter from the board's secretariat setting out the decision and related conditions.
"Specific rules on house arrest need to be drafted because this mechanism has never been implemented before.
"The drafting process is now in its final stages," he told reporters at the launch of the National Anti-Drug Agency's Madani Adopted Village and Madani Adopted School programmes in Felda Tenang.
Saifuddin said the letter from the Pardons Board secretariat also stated that the Prisons Department could set any appropriate conditions.
He said Najib had yet to pay the RM50 million fine and was still serving his sentence in prison.
Saifuddin said the Home Ministry, particularly the Prisons Department, was responsible for preparing rules to ensure that house arrest was governed by clear conditions.
"That is all I can comment on for now," he said.
On Sept 18, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Sultan Ibrahim, granted Najib a conditional pardon allowing him to serve the remainder of his six-year prison sentence in the SRC International case under house arrest until Aug 23, 2028, subject to payment of a RM50 million fine.
The decision was made at the 64th meeting of the Federal Territories Pardons Board.
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