MP slams prisons dept for gag order on Najib’s house arrest terms

 Lim Lip Eng says keeping the terms under wraps is ridiculous, and the people deserve to know the conditions that have been set.

On Sept 18, former prime minister Najib Razak was granted a conditional pardon, allowing him to serve the remainder of his sentence under house arrest until Aug 23, 2028 if he pays the RM50 million fine imposed in his SRC International case.

PETALING JAYA:

DAP’s Lim Lip Eng has slammed the prisons department for ordering Najib Razak not to disclose the terms of his house arrest under the conditional pardon granted by the king.

Najib’s lawyer Shafee Abdullah reportedly said the former prime minister had received the house arrest order and terms, but was ordered not to disclose the details.

Lim said the terms of Najib’s house arrest were not an official secret and should not be kept under wraps, describing the move as “ridiculous”.

The Kepong MP said this would fuel further speculation on Najib’s house arrest, and that Malaysians deserved to know the conditions that had been set.

“Who is allowed to visit him? Can he use his phone, the internet and social media? What about watching television or other forms of entertainment and receiving guests? Is he required to wear an electronic wristband or will he be under CCTV monitoring at all times?

“Najib is still a prisoner. He is not yet a free man. This case involves public interest and may be a reference for the future implementation of house arrests.

“So the people deserve to know how imprisonment will be conducted outside of prison,” he said in a statement.

Lim urged the prisons department to make public the terms of Najib’s house arrest, saying while sensitive security-related information could be kept secret, not everything should be hidden.

“House arrest is not a holiday at a luxury bungalow. If everything is above board, why fear publicising the conditions?”

Najib was jailed in August 2022 after the Federal Court upheld his conviction of abuse of power, criminal breach of trust and money laundering involving RM42 million in SRC funds.

He was sentenced to 12 years in prison and fined RM210 million.

In January 2024, former king Al-Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah exercised his pardon powers by halving Najib’s jail term and reducing his fine to RM50 million.

On Sept 18 this year, Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Ibrahim granted Najib a further conditional pardon, allowing him to serve the remainder of his sentence under house arrest until Aug 23, 2028, subject to payment of the fine and compliance with other stipulated conditions.

Umno has set up a fund to help its former president pay the fine, with party leaders, members and supporters encouraged to contribute voluntarily. - FMT