Malaysia's former Prime Minister Najib Razak is expected to be transferred from prison to house arrest after his political party paid a 50 million ringgit ($12.3 million) fine required under the conditions of his royal pardon.
Najib, 73, has been behind bars since August 2022, when Malaysia's top court upheld his conviction in the first of several graft trials linked to the multibillion-dollar scandal involving state investment fund 1MDB.
The country's king granted him a rare clemency in September, allowing him to serve the remainder of his reduced six-year sentence under house arrest.
The arrangement applies only to his sentence in the first case and does not cover a separate 15-year prison term imposed in December 2025 for corruption and money laundering in another major trial related to the 1MDB scandal.
United Malays National Organization (UMNO) Secretary-General Asyraf Wajid Dusuki said in a statement on Friday that the party had raised the required amount through a donation campaign and completed payment of the fine at the High Court earlier in the day.
The payment fulfilled a key condition of the royal pardon.
However, the timing of Najib's transfer to house arrest remained unclear. Police were deployed outside his Kuala Lumpur residence early Friday, while the road leading to the house was blocked.
Najib established the 1MDB development fund shortly after becoming prime minister in 2009. Investigators estimate that at least $4.5 billion was stolen from the fund and laundered by his associates through multiple bank accounts in the United States and other countries.
The money was allegedly used to finance Hollywood films and purchase luxury properties and items, including hotels, a yacht, artwork and jewellery.
In 2020, Najib was sentenced to 12 years in prison and fined 210 million ringgit ($51.5 million) for abuse of power, criminal breach of trust and money laundering involving 42 million ringgit ($10.3 million) transferred from SRC International, a former 1MDB unit, to his bank accounts.
The Pardons Board halved his prison term to six years and reduced the fine to 50 million ringgit in January 2024.
King Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar later granted him a conditional pardon, allowing him to serve the remainder of his sentence under house arrest until Aug 23, 2028, provided he paid the fine.
Najib is appealing his conviction and sentence in the second trial. The 15-year term is scheduled to begin after he completes his existing sentence. He was also fined 11.4 billion ringgit ($2.8 billion).
If he fails to overturn the conviction on appeal, he could return to prison after Aug 23, 2028.
Public anger over the 1MDB scandal contributed to the ruling coalition's historic defeat in the 2018 election. The coalition had governed Malaysia since its independence from Britain in 1957.
Despite his conviction, Najib continues to wield influence within UMNO, which is now part of the government that came to power in 2022.