Malaysia's king says Najib's conditional pardon is unambiguous, warns against disputing it

The royal decree comes a day after the Attorney-General's Chambers called for a temporary suspension of Najib Razak's house arrest, citing legal questions over the implementation of his pardon and its implications for a separate prison sentence.

Malaysia's king Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar looks on during a state welcoming ceremony for Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi at the National Palace in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Oct 10, 2026. (Photo: Reuters/Hasnoor Hussain)

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia's king Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar said on Saturday (Nov 7) that the conditional royal pardon allowing former prime minister Najib Razak to serve the remainder of his prison sentence under house arrest is clear and unambiguous, warning that any attempt to dispute the order would amount to defying the monarch's decree.

The king's assertion comes a day after the Attorney-General's Chambers (AGC) called for Najib's transfer to house arrest to be temporarily suspended, citing complex legal questions over the interpretation of the royal pardon and its implications for a separate prison sentence imposed on the former leader.

In a statement (Nov 7), Sultan Ibrahim said that the conditional pardon was not related to any of Najib's other cases and that all the conditions stipulated in the order had been fulfilled.

“This conditional pardon order is clear, explicit and without any ambiguity, and is not related to any other cases involving him,” the king said.

“There should be no confusion in its interpretation, nor should there be prolonged uncertainty over the implementation of the decision that has been granted.”

CNA Games Guess Word Crack the word, one row at a time Buzzword Create words using the given letters Mini Sudoku Tiny puzzle, mighty brain teaser Mini Crossword Small grid, big challenge Word Search Spot as many words as you can Show More Show Less Malaysia's former Prime Minister Najib Razak arrives at the Kuala Lumpur High Court at Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Oct 14, 2026. (Photo: Reuters/Hasnoor Hussain) The king also said that the power to grant pardons is a royal prerogative under Article 42 of Malaysia's Federal Constitution.

“The exercise of this power must be respected in accordance with the position of the Constitutional Monarchy and the principle of the rule of law,” Sultan Ibrahim said.

“Given that all the conditions stipulated in the conditional pardon order have been fulfilled, any argument disputing the order would amount to defying the command of His Majesty the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.”

The statement did not explicitly direct the AGC to withdraw its position or reverse the proposed temporary suspension of Najib's house arrest.

The king's remarks follow a dispute between Najib's lawyers and the AGC on Friday over the implementation of Najib's conditional pardon, which would allow him to serve the remainder of his sentence in the SRC International corruption case under house arrest.