Agriculture and Food Security Minister Mohamad Sabu proposed on Tuesday that Malaysia introduce a legal mechanism allowing all prisoners to serve half of their sentences behind bars and the remainder under house arrest, offering to donate his entire ministerial salary to support the campaign.
The proposal follows a Kuala Lumpur High Court order issued on Monday allowing former prime minister Najib Razak to serve the remainder of his SRC International prison sentence under house arrest at his residence until August 23, 2028. Najib began serving his sentence at home following the payment of a RM50 million fine, as reported by The Star.
“Laws must be fair to everyone. Justice cannot be an exclusive right reserved for certain groups. Malaysia cannot practise a two-tier justice system,” Mohamad, the Kota Raja MP, said in a statement cited by Free Malaysia Today.
“The principle of equality before the law must not be compromised on the basis of position, political influence or family ties. The law must be fair to all. Malaysia cannot practise a two-tiered justice system,” Mohamad said in a statement cited by Free Malaysia Today.
As a sign of commitment, the Amanah president announced he would donate his entire ministerial salary of RM11,900 per month until the dissolution of Parliament to non-governmental organisations willing to champion the cause, according to reporting by NST Online. He clarified that he would retain his allowances to carry out official duties.
Mohamad specified that he hoped civil society groups such as Bersih, the Bar Council, and the Syariah Lawyers Association would spearhead the push for the legislation. According to Malaysiakini, it remains unclear why the minister chose the civil society route rather than pursuing the policy directly through the cabinet, or how the initiative intersects with house arrest legislation currently drafted by Putrajaya.
Speaking at a press conference during the Himpunan Semarak Tani Bersama Nelayan Melaka programme in Merlimau, Mohamad emphasized that his stance carried no personal animosity toward Najib or his family. The Rakyat Post said that the Kota Raja MP stressed the principles of constitutional supremacy and the rule of law in ensuring non-discriminatory justice.
| Key Figure | Detail | Reference Source |
|---|---|---|
| RM11,900 | Monthly ministerial salary donated by Mohamad Sabu | NST Online, Malaysiakini |
| RM50 Million | Fine paid in the SRC International case | Free Malaysia Today, The Star |
| August 23, 2028 | Scheduled conclusion of Najib’s house arrest term | Free Malaysia Today, The Star |
Najib was originally jailed in August 2022 after the Federal Court upheld his conviction for abuse of power, criminal breach of trust, and money laundering involving RM42 million in SRC International funds, receiving a 12-year sentence and a RM210 million fine.
In January 2024, then Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah halved the prison term and reduced the fine to RM50 million, before Sultan Ibrahim granted a further conditional pardon in September allowing the remainder of the sentence to be served at home.
