Malaysian court clears jailed ex-PM Najib Razak for house arrest; Transport Minister Loke resigns

Summary

Malaysia's High Court cleared the way on Tuesday for jailed former prime minister Najib Razak, 73, to serve the rest of his prison sentence under house arrest, according to reports from several outlets. Najib was jailed for his role in looting the now-defunct sovereign wealth fund 1MDB and has been behind bars since August 2022, when the Kuala Lumpur High Court upheld his graft conviction, The Hindu reported. South China Morning Post reported that he arrived at his home in Kuala Lumpur's affluent suburb of Taman Duta at 9.27pm, escorted by vehicles from the Prison Department and the police, and that Transport Minister Anthony Loke resigned after his exit from prison. The New York Times reported that he was released to serve the rest of his sentence in his mansion.

Timeline

1. South China Morning Post

   10 Nov 2026, 09:41 UTCSource ↗

   Reports that the High Court cleared the way on Tuesday for jailed former prime minister Najib Razak to serve the rest of his sentence under house arrest, and that his prison exit triggered Transport Minister Anthony Loke's resignation.

2. Al Jazeera

   10 Nov 2026, 11:17 UTCSource ↗

   Reports that a Malaysian court cleared former prime minister Najib Razak, 73, for a transfer to house arrest, and that he was jailed for his role in looting the now-defunct sovereign wealth fund 1MDB.

3. ABC News

   10 Nov 2026, 12:10 UTCSource ↗

   Reports that a Malaysian high court has cleared all legal hurdles for former prime minister Najib Razak to serve the rest of his graft sentence under house arrest.

4. The Hindu

   10 Nov 2026, 12:28 UTCSource ↗

   Reports that Najib Razak has been behind bars since August 2022, when the Kuala Lumpur High Court upheld his graft conviction linked to the looting of the state investment fund 1MDB, and that a Malaysian court has now cleared his final hurdle for house arrest.

5. The New York Times

   10 Nov 2026, 14:22 UTCSource ↗

   Reports that Najib Razak, brought down in the multibillion-dollar 1MDB scandal, was released from prison to serve the rest of his sentence in his mansion.