Najib House Arrest: Family Only, No Phone, No Social Media

By MIKE PAUL

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 12 — The Najib house arrest conditions were laid out in full in the Dewan Rakyat today, with Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail confirming that the former prime minister may live only with his immediate family and is barred from using personal phones, speaking to the media or appearing on social media.

Saifuddin was replying during Minister’s Question Time to Suhaizan Kaiat (PH-Pulai), who asked for the specific terms imposed on Datuk Seri Najib Razak and the agencies responsible for monitoring compliance.

Who can stay at the residence

The minister said the Pardons Board order defines immediate family as Najib’s wife, children, children-in-law and grandchildren. Anyone outside that circle cannot live at the house without prior written approval, and visitors also need written consent before they can be received.

Najib is not allowed to move to another house or premises, or to leave the designated address, without written permission. Saifuddin said this applies even to attending Friday prayers.

Phone, media and political curbs

Najib may only use telecommunications devices registered with the Prisons Department, which the minister said are meant for prison officers to contact him and verify that he is at the residence. He is also prohibited from making statements to the media, appearing on any social media platform, attending public gatherings or taking part in political activities.

Saifuddin said the conditions fall under four broad categories: residence and association, movement and visits, the use of telephones and telecommunications devices, and compulsory attendance at rehabilitation and intervention programmes. The Prisons Department has also been authorised to add further conditions where needed for supervision.

Second home request rejected

The minister disclosed that Najib had submitted a written request to include another residence under the arrangement. The ministry turned it down because the Pardons Board order names only one premises.

On enforcement, Saifuddin said any breach would see Najib returned to Kajang Prison or another prison designated by the Commissioner-General of Prisons, adding that in such a case the order would be “revoked immediately”.

He said the conditions were not drafted solely for Najib and could serve as a reference should a similar case arise in future. According to the minister, the terms were explained to Najib two days before he was moved out of prison.

How the house arrest began

Najib, 73, began serving the remainder of his six-year SRC International sentence at his Jalan Langgak Duta residence on Nov 10, after paying the RM50 million fine required under the conditional pardon granted by Sultan Ibrahim in September. The house arrest runs until Aug 23, 2028.

His transfer followed a four-day delay that prompted several Barisan Nasional MPs to call for the Attorney General to go on leave, as TNS News reported. The decision has also had political fallout, with DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke stepping down as transport minister.

Records of Dewan Rakyat proceedings are published on the Parliament of Malaysia website.

– TNS News