Former prime minister Najib Razak now faces a critical legal crossroads following his latest corruption conviction, with lawyers saying he must choose between pursuing an appeal or seeking royal clemency in the 1MDB case.
On December 26, 2025, the High Court in Putrajaya found Najib guilty of multiple offences linked to the misappropriation of 1MDB funds. The court imposed a 15-year prison sentence and a fine of RM11.4 billion after convicting him on four counts of abuse of power and 21 counts of money laundering involving RM2.28 billion that flowed into his AmBank accounts between February 2011 and December 2014.
Legal observers explained that Najib, who is 72, retains the right to challenge the conviction through the appellate courts, a process that could stretch another two to three years if it proceeds to the Federal Court. However, they stressed that choosing this route would effectively close the door to an immediate application for a royal pardon.
Lawyers clarified that a pardon petition can only be made once all legal avenues have been exhausted or formally abandoned. As such, Najib would be required to waive his right to appeal before submitting an application for clemency to the Federal Territories Pardons Board. While the law does not impose a strict deadline for filing a pardon petition, it requires that such applications be made as soon as practicable.
Najib’s defence team has already signalled an intention to appeal, with a notice required to be filed within 14 days of sentencing. If the appeal proceeds, the pardon option would only become available after the conclusion of the judicial process.
The court also ordered that the 15-year sentence in the 1MDB case will commence only after Najib completes his existing six-year prison term for the SRC International case, which is scheduled to end on August 23, 2028. This means the cumulative jail time could extend well beyond a decade unless relief is granted through legal or executive channels.
Separately, on December 22, 2025, the Kuala Lumpur High Court rejected an application seeking to compel the government to allow Najib to serve the remainder of his SRC sentence under house arrest, keeping him confined at Kajang Prison.
Legal experts further noted that the law does not bar multiple pardon applications. This leaves open the possibility for Najib to submit a fresh clemency plea for the SRC case, depending on circumstances and the advice provided by the attorney-general to the King under Article 42 of the Federal Constitution.
Historical precedents, including cases where sentences were reduced following successive clemency petitions, were cited as examples of how such processes can evolve, though outcomes remain highly discretionary.
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