KUALA LUMPUR (Feb 2): Former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak's jail time has been halved by the Pardons Board.

In a brief statement released on Friday the board said that Najib's release date would now be Aug 23, 2028 and the RM210 million fine has been reduced to RM50 million.

"However, if the fine is not paid, the prison term for [Najib] will be added for one year whereby his release date is on Aug 23, 2029," read the much-awaited statement.

Najib is currently serving his 12-year prison sentence in Kajang after the apex court dismissed his final appeal in the RM42 million SRC International Sdn Bhd case in August 2022. He was also slapped with a RM210 million fine.

The statement added that the 61st Pardons Board meeting chaired by Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri'ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah convened on Monday (Jan 29). Five pardon papers, including Najib's case, were up for consideration.

The meeting was the last official meeting in Sultan Abdullah’s role as the King, as his five-year reign ended on Tuesday (Jan 30).

The rumour mill went into overdrive earlier this week after Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Federal Territories) Dr Zaliha Mustafa confirmed the Pardons Board meeting. Many speculated that the former PM would see a reduction to his jail term, much to the chagrin of social media users.

Officials from the government, including Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim had kept mum, merely cautioning everyone to patiently wait for the official statement.

Najib, who turns 71 in July, started serving his prison sentence on Aug 23, 2022 as soon as the apex court delivered its decision. It is unclear if the former finance minister has paid his fine, although typically he does have until the end of his jail sentence to do so.

Subsequently, he filed a bid to review the decision. A fresh five-member panel then heard the review and dismissed his application with a majority 4-1 decision.

Reading the majority decision, then Federal Court judge Vernon Ong said there was no miscarriage of justice in the top court's decision.

Najib also filed an application for a royal pardon on Sept 2, merely days after beginning his time in prison.

The ex-Umno president still has three more pending court cases against him. The 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB)-Tanore trial is still ongoing and is at the tail-end of the prosecution's case.

He faces four counts of abuse of power and 21 counts of money laundering of RM2.27 billion of 1MDB funds in that trial.

The former Pekan member of Parliament also has two more trials which have yet to begin whereby he had submitted letters of representation to drop the charges against him.

One of the cases involves him facing three money laundering charges for accepting proceeds from illegal activities amounting to RM27 million of SRC funds through his private bank accounts.

Another pending case is the criminal breach of trust of RM6.6 billion involving International Petroleum Investment Company (IPIC), whereby Najib is charged alongside former Treasury secretary general Tan Sri Mohd Irwan Serigar Abdullah.

Najib along with former 1MDB president Arul Kanda Kandasamy have both been acquitted in the 1MDB audit report tampering case.

Read also:
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PM: Decision has been made on Najib’s pardon application
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