Malaysia’s king warns against challenging his order allowing house arrest for ex-PM Najib

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia’s king warned on Saturday that any attempt to challenge his order letting former Prime Minister Najib Razak go from jail to house arrest could amount to defying his decree, a day after authorities delayed Najib’s transfer.

Najib has been in jail since 2022 after being found guilty of corruption and money laundering in a case linked to a multibillion-dollar scandal at state fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad. He has consistently denied wrongdoing.

He was due to be transferred home on Friday, after his party paid a 50-million-ringgit ($12-million) fine to fulfil a condition of a royal pardon issued by King Sultan Ibrahim in September that would allow him to serve his remaining two years at home.