Malaysia attorney-general’s workplace says home arrest bids should go to pardons board

KUALA LUMPUR – Malaysia’s attorney-general’s workplace mentioned all petitions for prisoners in Malaysia to serve their sentences beneath home arrest, together with jailed former Prime Minister Najib Razak, should be submitted to the pardons board chaired by the nation’s king.

Najib is serving a six-year jail sentence for corruption linked to the multibillion-dollar 1MDB scandal.

The Court docket of Attraction is ready to listen to on Jan. 6 a bid by Najib to overturn a decrease court docket choice in July that struck out his request to substantiate the existence of and execute a royal order entitling him to serve his sentence beneath home arrest.  

In a press release on Saturday, the attorney-general’s workplace mentioned that beneath the structure the king has the facility to grant pardons, postpone sentences, relieve punishments for any offences, in addition to commute, droop or mitigate any punishments imposed by a court docket. 

“If any get together needs to suggest that any prisoner, together with Najib Razak, serve the rest of his sentence beneath home arrest, an utility needs to be submitted for consideration by the pardons board chaired by the king, based on established authorized procedures and channels,” the workplace mentioned.

The workplace mentioned beneath the structure, selections made by the king on the recommendation of the pardons board couldn’t be challenged in court docket for being illegal.

Malaysia practices a novel type of monarchy, the place the nation’s 9 sultans take turns to be king for a five-year reign.