Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has confirmed that a decision has been made with regards to former prime ministers Najib Razak’s clemency on the corruption charges, however the Anwar said the announcement will be made by the parole board soon.
This comes as media reports have been swirling on Najib’s jail sentence being reduced by half after the parole board had heard the plea and given the clemency. Yesterday, the parole board informed that the announcement will be made by this week.
CNA reporter Aqil Haziq reported the decision by the board, which is headed by Malaysia’s king, includes a reduction of his RM210 million (US$44.4 million) fine to an unspecified amount, according to three separate sources who spoke on condition of strict confidentiality.
The partial royal pardon for his role in the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) case comes after serving less than two years of his prison term.
The reduction means Najib is expected to complete his sentence in August 2028. But with parole for good behaviour, he could be out in August 2026 after serving two-thirds of the new jail term.
There has been feverish speculation about the pardon after Dr Zaliha Mustafa, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Federal Territories) confirmed on Tuesday that the board members including herself had met on Monday. She said an official announcement by the Pardons Board will be made.
The meeting was one of Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin’s last official tasks before he stepped down as Malaysia’s king on Jan 31 and handed the role to Johor ruler Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar under the country’s unique rotation system for its nine royal state households.
