Mohammad Najib bin Abdul Razak is a Malaysian politician who served as the sixth prime minister of Malaysia from 2009 to 2018. He is the son of former prime minister Abdul Razak Hussein. Najib served as the chairman of the Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition from April 2009 to May 2018 and as the president of the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) from November 2008 to May 2018.
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Kuala Lumpur High Court judge Noor Ruwena Md Nurdin on 14 October 2026 dismissed former prime minister Najib Razak's application to stay his 15-year prison sentence and RM11.4 billion fine in the 1MDB case while his appeal proceeds. Bernama reported that the judge found Najib had not met the legal test of "special circumstances" for a stay and gave greater weight to the gravity of the offences and the public interest.
Malay Mail reported that the ruling clears the way for the 1MDB sentence to begin after Najib completes his reduced sentence in the separate SRC International case, with the new term scheduled to start in August 2028. The court also rejected the argument that his medical conditions justified a stay, finding that his treatment needs were being met by government hospitals and specialists.
The accountability point is direct: a former head of government convicted in one of Malaysia's largest corruption cases sought to stay outside the new sentence while challenging the verdict, and the trial judge refused. Najib's strongest defence is his continuing right of appeal; the refusal of a stay does not decide that appeal. What comes next: the appeal itself and any further application to a higher court.