Malaysia: ex-PM Najib has jail sentence halved

A Malaysian pardons board said on Friday that it has decided to halve the jail sentence of former Prime Minister Najib Razak, who was convicted of graft and money laundering related to the multibillion-dollar "1MDB" scandal.

Najib, 70, who is serving a 12-year jail term, will now be released in August 2028. Fines imposed on him will also be reduced from 210 million ringgit ($44.5m) to 50 million ringit ($10.5m) the pardons board said in a statement. 

If the fine is not paid, the former prime minister's jail term will be increased by one year, according to the statement.

Why has Najib's sentence been reduced?

The pardons board, which is chaired by Malaysia'a king, a largely constitutional figure, didn't give a reason for its decision.

But the move is expected to raise further questions about current Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim's commitment to fighting corruption.

Anwar campaigned on an anti-corruption platform, but partnered with Najib's graft-tainted party, the United National Malays Organisation (UMNO), to form a government in November 2022 after an election produced a hung parliament.

The reduction in Najib's sentence comes amid accusations that the Anwar administration is softening on reforms, after a string of cases linked to Najib and other UMNO leaders were dropped last year.

Why is Najib in jail?

Najib was convicted for graft linked to "1Malaysia Development Berhad" (1MDB), the state fund from which an estimated $4.5 billion was stolen and a further $1 billion channeled to accounts linked to the former premier, according to estimates by US and Malaysian investigators.

Najib has consistently pleaded his innocence, maintaining he was misled by fugitive financier Jho Low and other 1MDB officials over the source of the funds and that he believed they were donations from the Saudi royal family.

He applied for a royal pardon in August 2022 shortly after his conviction but his sentence was upheld by Malaysia's highest court, making him the first premier in the country's history to be put behind bars.

Najib remains on trial in several other cases linked to corruption at 1MDB.

What is Malaysia's Pardons Board?

Malaysia's Pardons Board consists of five members: the attorney-general, the chief minister, and a maximum of three other members appointed by the King, who advise the constitutional monarch.

Members of parliament cannot sit on the pardons board.

Appointed members can only serve three years, although they may be reappointed to the post by the King.

Najib's application was among five other pardon bids reviewed on Monday by the board, chaired by Malaysia's former king Al-Sultan Abdullah Ahmad Shah, its statement said.

Al-Sultan Abdullah ended his five-year reign under Malaysia's rotating system of monarchy this week, and has been succeeded by Sultan Ibrahim of Johor.

Malaysia's king plays a largely ceremonial role but can pardon convicted people among discretionary powers granted by the federal constitution. 

mf/rt (Reuters, AP)