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SHAH ALAM - Former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak could return to prison if his conviction and sentence in the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) case are upheld by the Court of Appeal.
Lawyer Mohamad Haziq Mohamad Asman said the 1MDB case is a separate conviction and sentence from the SRC International Sdn Bhd case, which the former Pekan MP is currently serving.
"There is a strong likelihood he could go back to prison as he has already been found guilty of the charges in the 1MDB case.
"However, at this stage, he has filed for a stay of sentence pending the decision of the Court of Appeal.
"In other words, it is a new conviction, separate from the offence in the SRC case," he told Sinar.
On Dec 26, 2025, the High Court convicted Najib on 25 charges involving abuse of power and money laundering linked to RM2.3 billion in 1MDB funds.
The court then sentenced him to 15 years in prison and a fine of RM11.4 billion, with the prison sentence in the 1MDB case ordered to begin after Najib completes his sentence in the SRC International case, which will end on Aug 23, 2028.
Haziq said the pardon for the SRC sentence cannot be automatically considered to cover the 1MDB case, as both involve different charges and convictions and the sentences do not run concurrently.
"For the SRC case, he is indeed serving that sentence and has obtained a (conditional) pardon from the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Sultan Ibrahim.
"Najib has not served any sentence for the 1MDB case, so I believe he needs a new pardon for that offence," he said.
Earlier, Sultan Ibrahim granted a conditional pardon allowing the sixth prime minister to serve the remainder of his sentence under house arrest.
The order was subject to payment of a RM50 million fine and compliance with conditions set throughout the period of house arrest.
Najib began serving his prison sentence on Aug 23, 2022 after the Federal Court upheld his conviction and sentence in the case involving the misappropriation of RM42 million in SRC International funds.
