Jailed former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak has asked a court to suspend a 15-year prison sentence imposed over his involvement in a multibillion-dollar corruption scandal, his lawyer said on Friday.

Najib, 73, has been in prison since 2022 after being convicted of graft and money laundering linked to the theft of billions of dollars from 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), a state investment fund he co-founded while serving as prime minister. He has consistently denied wrongdoing.

The request comes a week after Malaysia’s King, Sultan Ibrahim, granted Najib a conditional pardon in a separate case. Under the pardon, Najib could serve the remainder of his original sentence under house arrest and potentially be released in August 2028, provided he pays a 50 million ringgit ($12.27 million) fine.

However, Najib also faces another 15-year prison term following his conviction in December last year in a separate case involving corruption linked to 1MDB. That sentence would begin after his current period of imprisonment or house arrest ends.

The Kuala Lumpur High Court is scheduled to decide on October 14 whether to suspend the additional sentence while Najib appeals his conviction, his lawyer Muhammad Shafee Abdullah told reporters.

Shafee said that if Najib pays the fine and the court grants the stay, there is a possibility that the former prime minister could be released on the same day.

However, the precise terms of the house arrest arrangement remain unclear because Najib’s legal team has not yet received official documents confirming the royal pardon, Shafee said.

The lawyer also said Najib has so far been unable to pay the fine because many of his assets remain frozen by the government.

Najib’s political party, the United Malays National Organisation, has launched a fundraising campaign seeking financial support from his supporters to help secure his release.

US and Malaysian investigators have said that at least $4.5 billion was stolen from 1MDB, with around $1 billion allegedly flowing into accounts linked to Najib.

Najib has apologised for his handling of the scandal but continues to maintain his innocence. He has said he was misled by others about the source of money transferred into his accounts.

SOURCE: Reuters, September 25, 2026.