Malaysia's law ministry confirmed on January 10, 2025, that it possesses no records authorizing house arrest for former Prime Minister Najib Razak. This assertion comes as Najib seeks to serve the remainder of his sentence at home. Imprisoned for his role in the multibillion-dollar fraud involving the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), Najib had his original 12-year sentence reduced last year by the then-King, Al-Sultan Abdullah Ahmad Shah, who chaired a special pardons board.

According to Najib and the ex-king’s palace, the former monarch issued an “addendum order” permitting house arrest along with his pardon. However, Najib's legal team claims this document has been disregarded by the relevant Malaysian authorities. The law ministry, tasked with overseeing pardons, clarified that it has not received any formal communication regarding this matter from the royal palace. “The law ministry, as secretariat to the pardons board, confirms that there are no additional documents or addendums in the official files or records under the ministry,” it stated.

Furthermore, both the home and communications ministers have expressed their unawareness of such a document's existence. Najib Razak was convicted in 2020 on charges of criminal breach of trust and abuse of power due to illegally receiving misappropriated funds from a component of the 1MDB fund. Currently, he is also undergoing trials related to other corruption cases linked to 1MDB, maintaining his innocence throughout the proceedings.

Moreover, Najib has initiated a legal challenge seeking to verify the existence of the royal document. This challenge was initially rejected by a court, but the ruling has recently been overturned by the Court of Appeal (Reuters).