Malaysia says royal document granting home detention for jailed ex-PM not withheld

By Danial Azhar

KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - A purported royal document allowing Malaysia's jailed former Prime Minister Najib Razak to serve the remainder of his sentence under house arrest was never hidden, the communications minister said on Wednesday. 

Minister Fahmi Fadzil, who is also the government spokesperson, told a regular press briefing he was never informed or received such a document.

The palace of Malaysia's former king, who granted Najib a pardon and reduced sentence last year before stepping down, on Jan. 4 issued and later confirmed the authenticity of a letter saying the document existed. Najib's legal team says the government has ignored it.

The Court of Appeal on Monday overturned the dismissal of Najib's legal attempt to access the document that he says should allow him to serve the rest of his term at home. The case will go back to court to be heard by another judge.

Fahmi said the government was bound by the principle of subjudice and would leave the former premier's case to the judicial process. 

"We take note that the Court of Appeal has remitted the case to the High Court so we must consider the views and advice of the attorney-general on several matters to not prejudice the case," Fahmi said.

Najib, imprisoned for his role in a multibillion-dollar fraud at state fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad, had his 12-year sentence halved last year in a pardon by then-King Al-Sultan Abdullah Ahmad Shah.

Najib and the ex-king's palace say the monarch also grants him house arrest in an "addendum order" that accompanied the pardon.

Najib was found guilty in 2020 of criminal breach of trust and abuse of power for illegally receiving funds misappropriated from a unit of 1MDB. He is on trial for corruption in several other 1MDB-linked cases and denies wrongdoing.

(Reporting by Danial Azhar; Editing by Martin Petty)