Malaysian court rejects ex-prime minister’s bid to serve remainder of sentence under house arrest

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — A Malaysian court Monday rejected former Prime Minister Najib Razak’s bid to serve the remainder of his graft sentence under house arrest.

The High Court ruled that a rare royal order issued by the nation’s former king was not valid as it wasn't made in accordance with constitutional requirements.

Najib’s lawyer told the court they plan to appeal the verdict.

The 72-year-old former prime minister will serve the remainder of his term in prison, scheduled to end in August 2028 after the Pardons Board cut the 12-year sentence by half last year.

Najib is serving time after being convicted in a trial linked to the multibillion-dollar looting of the 1MDB state fund that toppled his government in 2018. He was sentenced to 12 years in prison in 2020 for abuse of power, criminal breach of trust and money laundering involving 42 million ringgit ($10.3 million) channeled into his bank accounts from SRC International, a former unit of 1MDB.

He began his sentence in August 2022 after losing his final appeal, becoming Malaysia’s first former leader to be jailed.

He filed an application in April 2024, saying he had information that then-King Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah issued an addendum order allowing him to finish his sentence under house arrest. Najib claimed the addendum was issued during a pardons board meeting on Jan. 29, 2024, chaired by Sultan Abdullah, that shortened his punishment and sharply cut a fine.

While there was no dispute over the existence of the addendum order, Judge Alice Loke said the house arrest wasn't raised nor discussed at the Jan. 29 pardons board meeting. The king's prerogative of mercy must be carried out based on the advice of the pardons board under the constitution and cannot be made independently as it would “invite arbitrary decision,” she said.

The house arrest therefore, was “not a valid order” she ruled.

Najib didn't show much emotion, and later smiled when his lawyer described the ruling as “shocking” after the judge left the courtroom.

Najib denies wrongdoing, alleging that Malaysian financier Low Taek Jho duped him. Low, thought to be the mastermind of the scandal, remains at large.

Separately on Friday, the former leader will also find out if he is acquitted or convicted in a second graft trial that ties him directly to the 1MDB scandal. The High Court will rule on four charges of abuse of power to obtain over $700 million from 1MDB that went into Najib’s bank accounts, and 21 counts of money laundering involving the same amount.

If found guilty, Najib faces up to 20 years in prison for each count of abuse of power and up to five years for each of the money laundering charges.

Najib set up the 1MDB development fund shortly after he took office in 2009. Investigators allege at least $4.5 billion was stolen from the fund and laundered by Najib’s associates through layers of bank accounts in the U.S. and other countries.

The funds were allegedly used to finance Hollywood films and extravagant purchases that included hotels, a luxury yacht, art and jewelry.

A national outrage over the 1MDB scandal led to the historic 2018 election defeat of the party that had governed Malaysia since independence from Britain in 1957.

Despite his conviction, Najib still holds clout in his party, the United Malays National Organization, which is now part of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim ’s unity government that took power after the 2022 elections.

Supporters of Malaysia's former Prime Minister Najib Razak gather outside the Kuala Lumpur High Court Complex, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Monday, Dec. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Azneal Ishak)

Supporters of Malaysia's former Prime Minister Najib Razak gather outside the Kuala Lumpur High Court Complex, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Monday, Dec. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Azneal Ishak)

Former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak, center, is escorted by prison officers on his arrival at the Kuala Lumpur High Court Complex, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Monday, Dec. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Azneal Ishak)

Former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak, center, is escorted by prison officers on his arrival at the Kuala Lumpur High Court Complex, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Monday, Dec. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Azneal Ishak)

Former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak, center, is escorted by prison officers on his arrival at the Kuala Lumpur High Court Complex, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Monday, Dec. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Azneal Ishak)

NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — Jack Hughes returned to the Devils’ lineup just over five weeks after having finger surgery and scored New Jersey's only goal against Buffalo on Sunday night.

Hughes received a loud ovation when he skated out for warmups, then scored his 11th goal of the season at 8:51 of the first period. That gave the Devils a 1-0 lead and brought more sustained cheers as Hughes raced in celebration to center ice where he was mobbed by teammates.

That goal also was the high point of the night at Prudential Center as the Sabres scored twice in the second period and added an empty net goal to secure a 3-1 win, Buffalo's sixth-straight victory.

Hughes was expected to miss two months after his Nov. 15 operation at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York. The 24-year-old center, who injured his right hand at a team dinner in Chicago a couple of nights earlier, was clearly happy to be back on the ice with his teammates.

“For me personally, it was really fun to get back out there and play,'' Hughes said. ”I'm glad I'm out there playing again, it's the best thing to do. When you're sitting on the couch and guys are playing, that's the taxing part of being injured. You want to be out there. That's what you want to do the most."

Hughes was the Devils’ leading scorer at the time of his injury with 20 points, and New Jersey was in first place in the Eastern Conference. The Devils lost 10 of 18 games without Hughes.

The top overall pick by New Jersey in the 2019 draft, Hughes scored 27 goals in 62 games in each of the past two seasons. He scored a career-high 43 goals and had 99 points overall in 2022-23 when the Devils finished with 52 wins and 112 points.

Devils coach Sheldon Keefe was happy to see his star player back but disappointed with the outcome.

“Great goal by Jack. He was responsible for four or five high-danger chances that he created for himself or others in the first period,'' Keefe said. ”That in itself probably should have been enough for us to win the game if we had been able to execute and finish some of those chances ... Overall as a team we didn't play well enough for three periods to win the game."

Getting back on the ice in game action paves the way for Hughes to be selected for the U.S. Olympic team. The roster deadline for the Milan Games is Dec. 31.

Devils forward Timo Meier also returned for New Jersey after taking a leave of absence earlier this month to attend to a family health matter. He had missed five games.

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FILE - New Jersey Devils center Jack Hughes moves the puck during the first period of an NHL hockey game against the San Jose Sharks, Oct. 30, 2025, in San Jose, Calif. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez, file)