Najib Razak has received approval for conditional house arrest, but whether he has actually moved home is a separate question. The announcement concerns his SRC International sentence, while another criminal case and the practical conditions of confinement remain important. As of this update, the reporting reviewed does not establish a completed transfer home or confirm payment of the required fine.

Three key takeaways

  • The pardon announced on 18 September allows the remaining SRC sentence to be served at home until 23 August 2028, subject to a RM50 million payment and other conditions. Bernama reported the announcement.
  • A separate application concerning the 1MDB sentence is scheduled for 14 October. That hearing date should not be presented as a confirmed release date. See Bernama’s court report.
  • The latest ministerial explanation points to the pardon authority setting restrictions, including arrangements for visits and monitoring. See the latest ministerial explanation.

What the September decision approved

The Federal Territories Pardons Board met on 18 September, chaired by King Sultan Ibrahim. According to CNA’s report of the government announcement, Najib may serve the remainder of his reduced sentence under house arrest if he pays the RM50 million fine. Compliance with the attached conditions is also required. A breach would revoke the conditional pardon and require him to return to prison.

The word “conditional” matters. The announcement describes permission governed by requirements, rather than documenting that every requirement has already been fulfilled. Readers should distinguish the decision itself from subsequent confirmation of implementation.

This development also belongs to a different stage from the earlier litigation over a royal addendum associated with the 2024 pardon. CNA reported that the High Court had found that earlier addendum unenforceable. The September 2026 decision is a fresh conditional pardon and should be identified by its own date.

Why the separate 1MDB proceedings matter

Bernama reported on 25 September that the High Court would hear Najib’s application to stay execution of his 15-year prison sentence and RM11.4 billion fine in the 1MDB case on 14 October. Judge Noor Ruwena Md Nurdin fixed the hearing during case management.

That sentence was imposed on 26 December 2025. Najib subsequently filed a notice of appeal. These proceedings concern a separate judgment from the SRC sentence addressed by the conditional pardon, so the two developments need to be followed separately.

A scheduled hearing tells readers when an application is due to be considered. It does not establish how the judge will decide it, whether further directions will be issued, or when any resulting arrangements could take effect.

What Najib’s lawyer said about timing

In The Sun’s 25 September report, lawyer Muhammad Shafee Abdullah said house arrest could begin as early as October if a stay were granted and the RM50 million fine paid. He also linked the timing to how far preparations had progressed.

Shafee discussed the possibility of a move on the hearing day if the necessary circumstances aligned, but could not give an exact date. His remarks describe a potential sequence of events. They provide no basis for saying a transfer has already happened, or that it must happen on 14 October.

Who will decide the restrictions

The most recent explanation came in a Malaysiakini report published on 7 October. Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail indicated that the relevant pardon authority would determine the terms, including visitation and monitoring.

The report referred to a written parliamentary reply dated 6 October. Saifuddin distinguished residential placement through a conditional pardon from the wider statutory house-arrest system the government plans to introduce.

That leaves practical questions requiring specific confirmation. What visits would be permitted? How would compliance be checked? What limitations would apply to communications or movement? The reporting reviewed does not provide a complete, verified set of operational rules. Assumptions based on overseas arrangements or proposed legislation should therefore be treated cautiously.

The appeal has another timetable

The Edge reported on 7 October that records for Najib’s 1MDB-Tanore appeal were still being prepared. These records include evidence, exhibits and grounds of judgment and are needed for his grounds of appeal. The Court of Appeal set the next case management for 16 December.

The report also confirmed the separate stay application’s 14 October hearing. Keeping those dates alongside their purpose helps avoid confusing a procedural update with a decision on the appeal or on house-arrest implementation.

Frequently asked questions

Is Najib already serving his sentence at home?

The sources reviewed do not confirm that. Approval, payment, court developments and an actual transfer should each be verified before reporting implementation as complete.

Has the RM50 million fine been paid?

No confirmed payment was established in this review. An offer of support or a statement about raising funds would not, by itself, demonstrate payment.

What should readers watch next?

Look for the outcome of the 14 October application, authoritative confirmation of payment, published conditions and confirmation of any transfer. Each would answer a different part of the remaining uncertainty.