Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim says he disagrees with Umno paying Najib Razak’s RM50 million fine, which has paved the way for the former prime minister to serve the rest of his sentence for his graft conviction under house arrest.
“My personal view is that I disagree with this as it could give the public the impression that large-scale corruption can go unpunished,” Anwar told reporters after Friday prayers in Ampang.
Umno secretary-general Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki announced earlier on Friday that the party had settled the fine using funds collected through a donation drive launched in September. The Kuala Lumpur High Court then issued a house arrest order for Najib, and his lawyer Farhan Shafee said he would deliver the order to Kajang prison, where Najib has been held since 2022.
Najib was jailed in August 2022 after the Federal Court upheld his conviction for abuse of power, criminal breach of trust and money laundering involving RM42 million in SRC International funds. He was sentenced to 12 years in prison and fined RM210 million.
A royal pardon in January 2024 halved his prison term and reduced the fine to RM50 million. In September, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Sultan Ibrahim, granted him a further conditional pardon allowing him to serve the remainder of his sentence under house arrest until Aug 23, 2028, subject to paying the fine and complying with other conditions.