Najib: ‘Cannot Afford’ RM50m Fine. Who Pays?

The post Najib: ‘Cannot Afford’ RM50m Fine. Who Pays? appeared first on In Real Life.

For the latest stories, follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

25 1

Former Prime Ministry Najib Razak, 73, has been in Kajang Prison since August 23, 2022, for misappropriating RM42 million from SRC International. In 2024, the Pardons Board halved his 12-year sentence and cut his RM210 million fine to RM50 million. On September 18, the King granted a conditional pardon. He may serve the rest of that sentence at home until August 23, 2028, if he pays the RM50 million. He is also appealing a separate 15-year sentence in the 1MDB case, which begins after the SRC term ends. The Attorney General confirmed on September 21 that the fine had not been paid. He remains in prison.

Najib Razak Solidarity Fund

Umno launched the Najib Razak Solidarity Fund on September 18, hours after the pardon was announced. It raised RM165,645 in its first hour. Party President Ahmad Zahid Hamidi invited leaders, members and supporters to give voluntarily and said the fund would run transparently.

As of 10am on September 27, the fund had collected RM9.25 million, RM40.75 million short of the target. Zahid said the full sum must be raised before house arrest can be fully implemented.

Screenshot 2026 10 19 181523 1 1

Najib cannot afford the fine, lawyer and family Say

On September 25, lawyer Muhammad Shafee Abdullah told reporters that Najib simply cannot afford it. He said all of Najib’s accounts are frozen, including the Affin Bank account that received his salary as prime minister and MP. Shafee said Najib never asked the public for money and was uncomfortable with the party raising it for him. He said he did not know how much had been collected.

Najib thanked the King and Umno members through his law firm on September 20. The statement said he was still seeking advice on how to meet the fine.

Najib’s eldest son, Nizar Najib, the Peramu Jaya assemblyman, said that even if the frozen assets were released, the family could not raise the fine immediately. He said the family still had a long way to go. In remarks reported on September 26, he said: “Whether my father can afford to pay it depends on how much is collected.”

Nizar defended the fundraising, saying the amount was raised in under a week and he expected it to grow. He also said donors came from various ethnicities and backgrounds and thanked those who gave more than RM36,000 in Pekan.

In court on September 25, Najib’s daughter, Nooryana Najwa, was asked when the fine would be paid. She replied, “I don’t know.”

Screenshot 2026 10 19 172256 1 1

The public response

AFP reported that supporters welcomed the decision and rallied around him. Others questioned the fund. Shyam Priah, a non-profit chief executive, said “Ten ringgit can mean a meal for someone who is struggling.” The Rakyat Post reported that some critics were sending one-sen transfers with mocking messages to the fund.

Questions still open

Where will the rest of the RM50 million come from? The fund stood at RM9.25 million as of September 27, and we found no newer official total. Najib’s lawyer says his accounts are frozen, and his son says unfreezing them would still not cover the fine.

What will house arrest involve in practice? The government statement lists conditions including reporting requirements, no tampering with an electronic monitoring device, and drug and alcohol restrictions. The full operational conditions have not been made public. The Attorney General says the Prisons Department will issue SOPs on visits, security and monitoring, and Rafizi Ramli has asked the government to disclose the full conditions.

Does Malaysian law allow it? The Home Minister says Malaysia has no specific house arrest law. A breach of the conditions would revoke the pardon, and under the Prison Act it can also bring a fine of up to RM2,000, up to two years in jail, or both. Criminal lawyer S Sivananthan says no prisoner in Malaysia has served a sentence this way before. Constitutional expert Wan Ahmad Fauzi says the arrangement must rest on an existing law: “There cannot be a new invention.”

Why was this decided now, and who decided it? On September 18, Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Ibrahim ibni Sultan Iskandar, who chairs the Federal Territories Pardons Board, consented to a conditional pardon. Najib may serve the rest of his SRC sentence at home until August 23, 2028, if he pays the RM50 million fine and complies with the conditions. The decision was made at the board’s 64th meeting, a week after the board deferred discussion of the application.

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim denies paving the way. He says the board considers the advice of the prime minister and the Attorney General, and the final decision rests with the King. He says the government’s views, including the Attorney General’s position at the meeting, were conveyed to the King. Transport Minister Anthony Loke announced his resignation, which he says takes effect when Najib goes home. He said the party decided he would resign as its response to what happened

October 14 hearing

The High Court will hear Najib’s application to stay the 1MDB sentence. His lawyer says that if the stay is granted and the fine is paid, he could be released the same day.