KUALA LUMPUR (Nov 6): Former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak's house arrest has yet to start despite paying the RM50 million fine required by the Federal Territories Pardons Board, Transport Minister Anthony Loke Siew Fook said on Friday.
Loke said Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail confirmed with him that Najib had been taken to Kuala Lumpur Hospital for a scheduled medical check-up, rather than being sent home.
Loke reiterated that his resignation from the cabinet would take effect as soon as Najib returned home to serve the remainder of his prison sentence under house arrest.
"If he sets foot at home tonight, then it takes effect tonight. If tomorrow, then tomorrow," he said.
Najib is being jailed for six years for misappropriating RM42 million from former 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) subsidiary SRC International Sdn Bhd.
He was originally sentenced to 12 years' jail and fined RM210 million in August 2020, and began serving his prison sentence in 2022 after exhausting all court appeals.
In 2024, the Pardons Board, chaired by Malaysia's king, halved Najib's jail time and reduced the fine to RM50 million.
Najib made a second appeal for clemency, and was granted permission in September to serve what is left of his jail time under house arrest provided he paid the RM50 million fine.
The decision prompted Loke, who is also DAP secretary general, to submit his resignation to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim on Sept 28, but was asked to remain in office until Najib returned home.
Earlier on Friday, media reports said Najib was seen leaving Kajang Prison in a grey Proton X70 at 2.37pm escorted by police and Prisons Department vehicles.
This comes after Umno paid the RM50 million fine for Najib, who is a former president of the party.
His lawyer, Muhammad Farhan Shafee, said after the fine was paid at the Kuala Lumpur Court Complex that the court has issued the house arrest order and that he will deliver the document to Kajang Prison.
The former prime minister is due to end his imprisonment in August 2028. However, Najib is due serve another 15 years in prison for corruption and money laundering involving RM2.3 billion of 1MBD funds.
That sentence is due to start after the SRC prison term ends, but Najib has not exhausted all judicial appeals in that case.