Malaysia's Anwar: Najib and the Betrayal of Trust
Disgraced former premier edges closer to freedom amid Anwar’s silence
By: Dennis Ignatius
After months of denial and deception, it is now confirmed that a purported addendum does indeed exist confirming the existence of a royal decree from Malaysia’s former king, the Pahang Sultan, who left office in January of 2024 at the end of his term, allowing the convicted former Prime Minister Najib Razak to serve his sentence under house arrest instead of in a prison where he now resides.
A three-judge court of appeal panel, in a split 2-1 decision, has ordered the Kuala Lumpur High Court to hear the merits of the case to free Najib, 71, whose sentence has already been cut in half by royal decree. The lower court last July 2024 dismissed his application for judicial review to compel the government to reply to or confirm the existence of the royal order from the King for his house arrest.
But that’s not the end of the story. After months of silence, the Home Affairs minister quickly clarified that there was no mention of house arrest in the official minutes of the pardons board, leaving the impression that the addendum was perhaps an afterthought and of questionable legality…