The Federal Territories Pardons Board announced today that the 12-year jail term of former Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak has been halved to six years. This decision allows for his potential release on August 23, 2028, marking a significant development in Najib's legal saga.
In addition to the reduction in his jail term, the Pardons Board also decided to decrease Najib's RM210 million fine to RM50 million. However, the condition for his early release is contingent upon him settling this reduced amount. Failure to pay the fine would result in a one-year extension, with a revised release date of August 23, 2029.
The announcement, made around 3.30 pm, put an end to more than three days of anticipation and intense speculation regarding the Pardons Board’s decision on Najib’s plea. The former prime minister has been incarcerated since August 23, 2022, following the Federal Court's affirmation of his convictions for criminal breach of trust, power abuse, and money laundering related to the misappropriation of RM42 million from SRC International Sdn Bhd.
Having served more than a year and five months in prison since August 2022, Najib's initial 12-year sentence, scheduled to conclude in 2034, has been subject to reduction based on good behavior as a prisoner. Legal experts previously suggested that, with the typical one-third remission for well-behaved inmates, his release could potentially occur as early as August 2026, excluding the one-year extension if the fine remains unpaid.
Najib initiated the pardon application on September 2, 2022, shortly after commencing his 12-year prison term at Kajang prison. The official statement from the Federal Territories Pardons Board, conveyed through the Prime Minister’s Department’s Legal Affairs Division, revealed that the decision was reached during the January 29 meeting chaired by then Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah.
The Pardons Board considered five pardon applications, including Najib's, during the meeting. The decision to reduce the jail term by 50% and the fine by a significant amount was made after careful consideration of advice and opinions. The official statement emphasized that Najib's early release and the reduced fine are interlinked, and failure to pay the stipulated amount would result in an extension of his already-reduced jail term. Therefore, the potential release date stands at August 23, 2028, provided the fine is settled, and extends to August 23, 2029, if the payment is not made.
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