Najib house arrest a double-edged sword for Umno, says analyst

 The move could shore up Umno’s traditional support while having limited appeal among undecided Malay voters.

Former prime minister Najib Razak will be allowed to serve the remaining term of a six-year jail sentence at his home in Jalan Langgak Duta in Kuala Lumpur.

PETALING JAYA:

The house arrest for former prime minister Najib Razak is a double-edged sword for Umno, potentially pushing swing Malay voters and middle-class Malays further away even as it gives the party a political lift, says an analyst.

Ahmad Fauzi Abdul Hamid.

Fauzi Abdul Hamid of Universiti Sains Malaysia said the party could gain a slight boost in its traditional strongholds, particularly in seats it narrowly won in the 2022 general election.

Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s position would also be “temporarily bolstered” as he is seen as “a steadfast defender of Najib”, Fauzi said.

“Some who have supported Umno all along will continue to do so,” he told FMT. “(But) voters who aren’t loyal to any party are likely to distance themselves from Umno. They would be alarmed by its stout defence of a convict who once led the party.”

Fauzi said Najib could also emerge as another centre of influence within Umno, although his other court cases remained an obstacle to his political rehabilitation.

Raduan Che Rose, president of the National Professors Council, similarly said the house arrest decision could restore morale and strengthen sentiment among Umno’s traditional supporters as many members see it as a “humane” outcome after years of concern over Najib’s legal troubles.

However, he said the response beyond Umno’s base would be different as concerns about Najib’s corruption convictions would persist among other voters.

Azmi Hassan.

Azmi Hassan of Akademi Nusantara said the house arrest could give Umno and Barisan Nasional further momentum, adding that Najib’s supporters would be encouraged by the decision – particularly those who believe he was politically persecuted.

Azmi said the outcome will improve Umno’s standing among its supporters, and, following its success in the Johor and Negeri Sembilan state elections, could provide further momentum for Umno and Barisan Nasional ahead of the coming Melaka election.

The decision to allow Najib to serve his remaining jail sentence at home was announced by the legal affairs division of the Prime Minister’s Department yesterday. It said the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Sultan Ibrahim, had granted Najib a conditional pardon following a meeting of the Federal Territories Pardons Board.

The king presides over meetings of the board, which comprises the attorney-general, the federal territories minister and three members appointed by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.

Under the conditional pardon, Najib will serve the remainder of his sentence in the SRC International case under house arrest until Aug 23, 2028, subject to the payment of a RM50 million fine.

Najib, 73, has been serving a six-year sentence at Kajang prison after the board halved his original 12-year sentence in February 2024. The original RM210 million fine was also reduced to RM50 million.

He was imprisoned in August 2022 after the Federal Court dismissed his final appeal in the case.

In December 2025, Najib was convicted of abuse of power and money laundering involving more than RM2 billion linked to 1MDB. He was sentenced to 15 years’ jail and fined RM11.38 billion. He is appealing this conviction. - FMT