Key facts
- Malaysia's attorney general on Friday temporarily blocked Najib Razak's transfer from Kajang Prison to house arrest.
- Umno paid a 50 million ringgit ($12.3 million) fine for Najib's house arrest.
- The palace said King Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar's pardon for Najib was clear and must be respected.
- Malaysia's attorney general rejected accusations of treason.
Malaysia's attorney general on Saturday stood by his decision to seek legal clarifications over a royal order allowing imprisoned former Prime Minister Najib Razak to serve the remainder of his sentence under house arrest, and rejected accusations of treason. That decision followed a public rebuke from the national palace, which said the order must be implemented, in a rare public clash between the palace and the government's top legal office over a royal decree.
The attorney general on Friday temporarily blocked Najib's transfer from Kajang Prison to house arrest, saying more legal clarification was needed. The palace on Saturday said King Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar's prerogative of pardon for Najib was clear and must be respected, as all conditions had been fulfilled. It warned that any attempts to challenge the pardon would amount to defying the royal command.
The report said Najib left the prison on Friday after his political party, Umno, paid a 50 million ringgit ($12.3 million) fine required to enable the house arrest. The report was dated November 9, 2026 and provided no further detail on the competing positions.