KUALA LUMPUR: The High Court here has rejected former prime minister Najib Razak’s application to stay his conviction and 15-year prison sentence, as well as payment of his RM11.387 billion fine in the 1MDB case.
Justice Noor Ruwena Nurdin dismissed Najib's application after hearing submissions from his lawyer, Shafee Abdullah, and deputy public prosecutor Ahmad Akram Gharib.
"There is no merit in the application," Ruwena said.
Najib's 15-year sentence is due to begin in 2028, after he completes his six-year prison sentence in the SRC International case.
With this decision, a fresh warrant of committal will be issued against Najib in two years' time.
Ruwena said the gravity of the offence is a more important public interest consideration to which the court must give regard.
She pointed out that among the reasons Najib sought for a stay in his 1MDB case was because of his health condition.
"The medical report presented to the court gave me the impression that the applicant's medical needs are very well taken care of by the government hospitals and experts," she said.
However, she told Shafee that Najib could seek a fresh stay before the Court of Appeal.
On Dec 26, 2025, the High Court sentenced Najib to 15 years in prison and fined him RM11.387 billion after finding him guilty of four counts of abuse of power and 21 counts of money laundering involving RM2.28 billion in 1MDB funds deposited into his AmBank accounts between February 2011 and December 2014.
An additional RM2.08 billion fine was also imposed as a sum of the money laundering charges.
Earlier today, Shafee said Najib's 1MDB appeal would be rendered academic if there were no stay on his 15-year prison sentence and conviction.
"However, the records of appeal are not ready yet, and no hearing date has been fixed," he said.
Ruwena then asked the lawyer where Najib was currently serving his sentence.
"He is still in Kajang prison because we have not raised the RM50 million (fine). Once it is paid, he will be transferred to his house," Shafee said.
Akram objected to Najib's application to stay his conviction and the payment of the fine, arguing that the offences were serious as they involved "a systematic diversion of a sovereign fund".