Former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak may not need to serve the full six-year prison term imposed in the SRC International case, as existing remission rules could shorten his time behind bars, according to his defence counsel.
Following the High Court’s decision to reject Najib’s application for house arrest, his lead lawyer, Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah, explained that the widely cited release date of August 2028 does not account for automatic sentence reductions commonly granted to inmates who maintain good conduct while incarcerated. Under current prison regulations, eligible prisoners may receive a remission of up to one-third of their jail term.
Based on this framework, Najib’s remaining sentence could be reduced substantially. Legal practitioners have previously noted that with full remission and payment of the RM50 million fine imposed in the SRC case, Najib could potentially be released as early as August 2026. If the fine is not settled, the release date may instead fall around August 2027, still significantly earlier than the original projection.
Najib has been serving his sentence at Kajang Prison since August 2022 after being convicted over the misappropriation of RM42 million linked to SRC International. His original 12-year sentence was later reduced to six years following a royal pardon, along with a reduction in the fine imposed.
The issue of his remaining jail time resurfaced after the court dismissed his request to serve the balance of his sentence under house arrest. With that option now closed, Najib will continue to remain in prison, though the prospect of remission keeps the possibility of an earlier release alive.
At the same time, Najib’s legal challenges are far from over. The former prime minister is awaiting a crucial verdict in a separate and far larger case involving more than RM2 billion allegedly linked to 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB). The High Court is scheduled to deliver its decision on 25 charges, including abuse of power and money laundering, later this week.
Should Najib be convicted in the 1MDB case, he would face additional prison sentences that could significantly alter any timeline for release arising from the SRC conviction alone. Legal observers note that the outcomes of the two cases are independent, meaning developments in one do not automatically affect the other.
For now, Najib remains incarcerated at Kajang Prison, with his immediate future hinging not only on remission rules but also on the court’s pending decision in the 1MDB trial. The coming days are expected to be pivotal in determining whether his legal battles extend his time in prison or bring him closer to eventual release.
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