Former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak has officially withdrawn his appeal to serve the remainder of his sentence under house arrest in the SRC International case.
According to court documents reported by Malay Mail, Najib had initially filed an appeal to be transferred from Kajang Prison to his Kuala Lumpur residence to complete his sentence under home detention.
Appeal withdrawn without explanation
However, his legal firm, Shafee & Co, submitted a notice to the Court of Appeal in early April stating that the appeal would be withdrawn.
In the notice dated April 2, Najib’s decision was stated briefly:
Please take notice that the appellant has decided to discontinue and withdraw this appeal against the respondent, without liberty to file afresh, and with no order as to costs.”
No reason was provided for the withdrawal.
Court records withdrawal as procedurally valid
On April 14, the Court of Appeal’s deputy registrar confirmed that the withdrawal complied with legal procedures and officially struck out the appeal.
This means Najib will no longer pursue efforts to serve the remainder of his sentence at home.
The 72-year-old has been serving his sentence since August 23, 2022, after being convicted of misappropriating RM42 million from SRC International.
He was originally sentenced to 12 years in prison.
In 2024, a decision by the Pardons Board reduced his jail term to six years, while his fine was lowered from RM210 million to RM50 million.
Expected release between 2028 and 2029
Following the sentence reduction, Najib is expected to complete his jail term between August 2028 and August 2029, depending on whether he pays the RM50 million fine.
With the withdrawal of the appeal, he will continue serving his sentence in prison without pursuing home detention.
