Former Malaysian prime minister Najib Razak’s lawyer said on 25 September that Najib cannot afford the RM50 million fine required as a condition for him to serve the remainder of his prison sentence under house arrest.
Lawyer Muhammad Shafee Abdullah said Najib’s bank accounts, including an Affin Bank account previously used for his salary and allowances as a prime minister and Member of Parliament, had been frozen. He said Najib did not have the financial means to settle the fine.
Najib remains in prison while the conditions attached to his conditional pardon are being fulfilled. The fine is one of the requirements before the house arrest arrangement can proceed.
Family Says Still Waiting For House Arrest Details
Najib’s legal team had earlier said that a significant portion of his assets, bank accounts and properties remained subject to freezing orders and enforcement proceedings, affecting his ability to make the payment.
His daughter, Nooryana Najwa Najib, said the family was still waiting for the official standard operating procedures (SOPs) for the house arrest arrangement.
The Malaysian Prisons Department is expected to issue procedures covering matters such as visits, security and monitoring if the house arrest process moves ahead.
UMNO Fund Receives Support And Criticism
UMNO launched the “Najib Razak Solidarity Fund” to collect contributions towards the RM50 million fine.
The fundraising effort received donations from supporters, with CNA reporting that the fund had collected more than RM1 million shortly after its launch. However, the campaign also attracted criticism online, with some people posting screenshots of one-cent donations and mocking transaction references.
Najib’s lawyer said on 25 September that Najib himself had not asked the public to donate towards the fine and that he did not know how much had been collected through the fundraising effort.
A Malaysian legal expert told CNA that crowdfunding of this nature is not specifically governed by a dedicated law, although any alleged irregularities involving fundraising or spending could be investigated under existing laws.
Najib’s Conditional Pardon
Najib was granted a conditional pardon that allows him to serve the remainder of his SRC International sentence under house arrest, subject to conditions including payment of the RM50 million fine.
The former prime minister has maintained his innocence in relation to the corruption charges for which he was convicted.
