Today (23 August) marks exactly three years – or 1,096 days – since former Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak began serving his prison sentence at Kajang Prison.
To commemorate the occasion, Najib, 72, released a poem on his Facebook page, offering Malaysians a rare glimpse into his inner life behind bars.
In his verses, Najib described the sound of the dawn call to prayer breaking the silence of his cell, the coldness of the cement floor, and the prayer mat that has become his faithful companion. He wrote of finding solace in prayer, of wounds and scars known only to Allah, and of enduring strength drawn from the support and prayers of his family and loyal followers.
“The prayer mat is my loyal friend,” Najib wrote, calling it both a place of solace and a vessel for unspoken grievances. “Three years have passed… the prayers of my family, the prayers of all of you give hope, they are a source of strength.”
The note concluded with an expression of faith in eventual justice: “Three years have passed… the prayer mat remains my companion. That moment will come. When…”
Najib’s conviction, handed down by the Kuala Lumpur High Court in 2020, found him guilty of misappropriating RM42 million from SRC International Sdn Bhd. He was sentenced to 12 years in prison and fined RM210 million, a ruling upheld by the Court of Appeal in December 2021 and affirmed by the Federal Court on Aug 23, 2022.
That date is remembered as historic — the day Najib became the first former Malaysian prime minister to be imprisoned.
However, on Feb 2 this year, the Pardons Board reduced his sentence to six years and his fine to RM50 million. As a result, Najib is now expected to be released on Aug 23, 2028 — exactly three years from today.
Despite his incarceration, Najib remains entangled in multiple ongoing legal battles. He faces two high-profile cases: the alleged misappropriation of RM2.3 billion from 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) and a criminal breach of trust involving RM6.6 billion linked to payments to International Petroleum Investment Company (IPIC).
In addition, his legal journey has been marked by controversy. On June 20 this year, he was granted a discharge not amounting to an acquittal (DNAA) in a money laundering case involving RM27 million of SRC funds.
The issue remains hotly debated, with Najib’s supporters framing it as an injustice and his critics dismissing it as a political ploy.
For Najib himself, his poem suggests that his days in prison continue to be defined by a search for inner strength and divine justice. While he stopped short of predicting when freedom or vindication might come, his closing words hinted at a man waiting patiently for his moment: “That moment will come. When…”
NOTE : To read Najib's poem directly, click here .
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