KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 6 — A vehicle believed to be carrying former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak returned to Kajang Prison tonight, hours after his earlier departure had sparked expectations that he would be transferred to house arrest.

The development brought an abrupt end to a day of uncertainty surrounding Najib’s expected release from prison, with media personnel and security officers gathering outside his Jalan Langgak Duta residence in anticipation of his arrival.

Najib, 73, had left Kajang Prison at about 2.37pm accompanied by several escort vehicles, shortly after his lawyers delivered a High Court order allowing him to serve the remainder of his sentence under house arrest.

However, the AGC subsequently announced that the implementation of the house arrest arrangement should be temporarily postponed pending legal clarification over the conditional royal pardon granted to Najib and the effect of the court order.

In a statement, the AGC said Najib’s detention status should remain unchanged at his existing place of detention while the legal questions were examined.

The chambers stressed that the temporary deferment was not intended to challenge or set aside the decree of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, but to ensure it was implemented accurately and in accordance with the law.

The development followed the settlement of the RM50 million fine imposed on Najib in his SRC International Sdn Bhd case, which was a condition attached to the conditional pardon granted by the King on September 18.

Umno secretary-general Datuk Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki earlier confirmed that the party had completed payment of the RM50 million fine through funds collected under the Najib Razak Solidarity Fund, which was launched in September.

Najib’s lawyer Muhammad Farhan Muhammad Shafee had earlier confirmed that the Kuala Lumpur High Court had issued an order allowing his client to serve the remainder of his sentence under house arrest.

He said the legal team had obtained the order and would deliver it to Kajang Prison for implementation.

The AGC, however, said two possible interpretations had emerged over the legal effect of the payment and the wording of the conditional pardon.

One interpretation was that payment of the RM50 million fine fulfilled only the financial component of Najib’s sentence, meaning his prison term would continue until August 23, 2028, with house arrest serving as an alternative arrangement for completing it.

The other interpretation was that payment of the fine meant the entire SRC International sentence, including the prison term, was considered completed, allowing the conditional pardon to take full effect.

The AGC said the legal questions also required examination of the effect of the High Court’s Order of Discharge on Payment of Fine, issued after the payment was recorded.

It added that the matter was unprecedented and involved complex legal questions concerning the implementation of the royal pardon and the court order.

Najib was initially sentenced to 12 years in prison and fined RM210 million in July 2020 after being convicted of seven charges involving the misappropriation of RM42 million belonging to SRC International, a former subsidiary of 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB).

The Federal Court upheld his conviction in August 2022, after which he began serving his sentence at Kajang Prison.

In January 2024, the Federal Territories Pardons Board halved his jail term to six years and reduced his fine to RM50 million.

The conditional pardon granted in September this year subsequently paved the way for Najib to serve the remainder of that sentence under house arrest until August 23, 2028, subject to the stipulated conditions.

However, the arrangement does not cover a separate 15-year prison sentence imposed on Najib in December 2025 in another major 1MDB-related corruption and money laundering case, which he is appealing.

The separate case could have further implications for Najib’s imprisonment should his appeal fail.

Najib was prime minister from 2009 to 2018 and remains a prominent figure in Umno, which is part of the current unity government.