Ex-Malaysia PM Najib Pays $12 Million Fine for House Arrest

Jailed former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak has paid a 50 million ringgit ($12 million) fine on Friday, marking a critical step toward serving the remainder of his prison term under house arrest. This payment follows a conditional royal pardon granted by Malaysia’s King Sultan Ibrahim in September. Ex-Malaysian PM sentenced to 15 years over corruption.

The 73-year-old former leader was previously incarcerated for his central role in the massive plundering of the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) sovereign wealth fund. His political party, the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO), confirmed that it had finalized all payment processes with the Kuala Lumpur High Court on Friday morning.

In an official statement, UMNO announced that it is closing the “Najib Razak Solidarity Fund,” which had been established to collect public contributions to cover the penalty.

The party emphasized that crowdfunding for this specific purpose is no longer required.

Ahmad Lutfi Azhar, an aide to the former leader, confirmed the transaction and stated that legal representatives are now awaiting the issuance of official transfer documentation.

As of noon, security measures were visibly heightened around the residence of the former prime minister.

An international news agency reported that police had cordoned off the road leading to his property with yellow tape and traffic cones. Law enforcement officers were seen stationed in mobile vans and had set up tents near the entrance to manage potential crowds during the transition.

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