Former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak Drops Appeal for House Arrest

Apr 27, 2026, 07:30

Introduction

Former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak has stopped his legal attempts to move from prison to house arrest after the court rejected his request.

Main Body

The legal process ended when the law firm Shafee & Co sent a notice to the Court of Appeal on April 3, stating that the appeal was being withdrawn. According to court documents, the appeal was cancelled without the possibility of filing it again, and no specific reason for this decision was given. The Court of Appeal officially confirmed the withdrawal on April 6. This legal battle began after a 2024 decision by a pardons board, led by the former king, which reduced Najib's original 12-year sentence to six years. This sentence was related to the theft of 42 million ringgit from SRC International, a former part of the 1MDB state fund. Najib claimed that a separate order from the monarchy allowed him to serve the rest of his sentence under house arrest; however, he asserted that state authorities ignored this order. As a result, he took the matter to court, but the Kuala Lumpur High Court denied his request on December 22. In a broader context, Najib faces several convictions related to the 1MDB fund, which was created in 2009. Investigations by Malaysian and US authorities estimate that about US$4.5 billion was stolen from the fund, with over US$1 billion allegedly linked to Najib's own accounts. Furthermore, in December, Najib received an additional 15-year sentence and a US$2.8 billion fine following a trial for money laundering and abuse of power. While Najib has apologized for the mismanagement of the fund, he has consistently denied any criminal wrongdoing.

Conclusion

Because the appeal has been withdrawn, Najib Razak will remain in Kajang Prison, meaning his current situation remains unchanged following these legal failures.

Vocabulary Learning

appeal (n.)

petition / a formal request to a higher authority上訴

Example:The court rejected his appeal.

conviction (n.)

guilty verdict / a formal finding of guilt有罪判決

Example:He faced several convictions.

mismanagement (n.)

poor handling / improper administration管理不善

Example:He apologized for the mismanagement of the fund.

sentence (n.)

judgement / the punishment decided by a court判決

Example:He received a six-year sentence.

withdrawn (adj.)

retracted / taken back or removed撤回

Example:His appeal was withdrawn.

Sentence Learning

This legal battle began after a 2024 decision by a pardons board, led by the former king, which reduced Najib's original 12-year sentence to six years.

Relative Clause: This clause adds information about which decision reduced the sentence.關係子句: 此子句提供了關於哪一項決定減輕 Najib 原始 12 年刑期的資訊。

The appeal was cancelled without the possibility of filing it again, and no specific reason for this decision was given.

Passive Voice: This sentence uses passive voice to describe the action performed on the appeal.被動語態: 此句使用被動語態，描述對上訴所採取的動作。

Najib claimed that a separate order from the monarchy allowed him to serve the rest of his sentence under house arrest; however, he asserted that state authorities ignored this order.

Contrastive Conjunction: The conjunction 'however' shows a contrast between Najib's claim and his assertion.對比連詞: 此連詞 'however' 表示 Najib 的主張與其否認之間的對比。

Investigations by Malaysian and US authorities estimate that about US$4.5 billion was stolen from the fund, with over US$1 billion allegedly linked to Najib's own accounts.

Complement Clause: The clause 'that about US$4.5 billion was stolen' completes the verb 'estimate'.補語從句: 此從句補足動詞 'estimate' 的內容，說明估計金額被盜。

The legal process ended when the law firm Shafee & Co sent a notice to the Court of Appeal on April 3, stating that the appeal was being withdrawn.

Passive Progressive: The phrase 'was being withdrawn' is a passive progressive form indicating ongoing action.被動進行式: 此片語使用被動進行式，表示上訴正在被撤回的進行動作。