Najib's Legal Battle: A Test for Malaysia's Judiciary and Governance

Former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak failed in his attempt to serve his prison sentence under house arrest, following a court's rejection of a royal 'addendum order.' As Najib faces additional charges related to the 1MDB scandal, the decisions test Malaysia's legal and political frameworks.

A Malaysian court has rejected former Prime Minister Najib Razak's request to serve the rest of his sentence at home. Najib, who was imprisoned in 2022 for his role in the 1MDB scandal, argued that a royal order allowed him house arrest, but the court found it unenforceable.

The court's decision occurs as Najib awaits a ruling on additional corruption charges linked to billions allegedly misappropriated from the 1MDB fund. Judge Alice Loke emphasized that while Malaysia's monarch has discretionary pardoning power, such orders must be constitutionally valid.

This case challenges Malaysia's governance, with political implications for current Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, whose coalition partners and opposition parties closely watch Najib's legal battles. These rulings test both the independence of the judiciary and political stability.

(With inputs from agencies.)