Malaysian court rejects Najib Razak's bid to suspend 15-year 1MDB sentence

Centre · 2On Wednesday 14 October 2026 the Kuala Lumpur High Court dismissed former prime minister Najib Razak's application to suspend his 15-year prison sentence in a 1MDB corruption case while his appeals proceed. 1 2 Centre · 2Judge Noor Ruwena said Najib had not shown the "special circumstances" needed for a stay; SCMP reports she called the seriousness of the offences an important public interest consideration and found his health and other grounds insufficient. 1 2 Centre · 1She said the size of the financial penalties did not justify a suspension, since payment is not currently required while the appeal is unresolved. She declined to assess the appeal's prospects, saying the court was "not a forum to decide on the correctness of the convictions". She also ruled Najib could no longer be considered a first offender because his SRC conviction was upheld by the Court of Appeal and the Federal Court. 2

Centre · 1Najib, 73, was convicted on 26 December last year of abuse of power and of laundering about 2.3 billion ringgit from 1MDB. He was sentenced to 15 years and fined about 11.4 billion ringgit, with a further 2.08 billion ringgit penalty bringing the total to 13.47 billion ringgit. The court rejected his defence that he had been duped into accepting stolen funds. 2 Centre · 2He has been in prison since 2022 over a separate case, the SRC International matter, after the top court upheld his conviction. The King, Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar, last month granted a conditional pardon allowing him to serve the remainder of that sentence at home if he pays a RM50 million (about US$12.2 million) fine. The 15-year sentence is due to begin after that term ends in August 2028. 1 2 Centre · 2Najib's party, UMNO, has launched a fundraising drive for the fine; its president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said on 27 September it had raised 9.25 million ringgit, less than a fifth of the target. His lawyer Muhammad Shafee Abdullah told the court the money was being raised and house arrest preparations were continuing, and his lawyers say much of his assets remain frozen. 2 1

Centre · 1Shafee argued for more than an hour, citing Najib's health, delays in preparing the appeal and legal findings the defence intends to challenge. He said the appeal record was still unavailable as of 7 October, with about 91 grounds of appeal identified and the next case management set for 16 December. The defence also disputed the prosecution's description of Najib as a repeat offender. 2 Centre · 1Defence submissions cited a prison medical report listing 14 health issues, including heart disease, high blood pressure, stomach ulcers, knee osteoarthritis and glaucoma, and 14 daily medications. Deputy public prosecutor Ahmad Akram Gharib opposed the stay, calling Najib's appeal prospects a "50-50 situation" and arguing the seriousness of the offences should carry greater weight. 2 Centre · 2US and Malaysian investigators say at least US$4.5 billion was stolen from 1MDB, with about US$1 billion reaching accounts linked to Najib. He denies wrongdoing, has apologised for mishandling the scandal, and says he was misled about the source of the funds; he has appealed all four abuse-of-power and 21 money-laundering convictions. 1 2

Centre · 1CNA notes Najib still has significant support in the Barisan Nasional coalition, part of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim's unity government, and that his lawyer said last year he may return to politics if freed. 1