KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA December 22, 2025 – The Kuala Lumpur High Court today dismissed former Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s judicial review application seeking to enforce a purported royal addendum order that would allow him to serve the remainder of his prison sentence under house arrest.
In a decision delivered by Justice Datuk Alice Loke Yee Ching, the court ruled that while the existence of the supplementary order (Titah Adendum) dated January 29, 2024, issued by the 16th Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah was not in dispute, it was procedurally invalid. The judge held that any such order for house arrest should have been made in consultation with the Federal Territories Pardons Board and in accordance with constitutional procedures.
Najib, who is currently serving a reduced six-year sentence at Kajang Prison for corruption related to SRC International Sdn Bhd (a subsidiary of 1MDB), had sought a mandamus order compelling the government and other respondents—including the Home Minister, Attorney-General, and Pardons Board—to confirm and execute the addendum, which allegedly permitted him to complete his term at his Kuala Lumpur residence.
The application, filed in April 2024 under case number WA-25-136-04/2024, stemmed from Najib’s claim that the addendum accompanied the Pardons Board’s decision in January 2024 to halve his original 12-year sentence and reduce his fine from RM210 million to RM50 million.
The court’s rejection means Najib will continue serving his sentence in prison without the option of house arrest, and no costs were awarded in the ruling.
Najib’s legal team has indicated plans to appeal the decision.
This ruling comes amid ongoing legal proceedings for Najib, including a separate High Court verdict expected later this week on charges directly linked to the multibillion-dollar 1MDB scandal.
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