Malaysia’s king warns against defying house arrest order for Najib

Malaysia’s King Sultan Ibrahim warned that challenging his order allowing former Prime Minister Najib Razak to serve the remainder of his sentence under house arrest could amount to defying the royal decree. Najib, jailed over his role in the 1MDB sovereign wealth fund scandal, received a conditional pardon in September requiring payment of a $12 million fine, which has been paid. The attorney general blocked his transfer on Friday, seeking clarification about the pardon, but the king said it was clear and unambiguous. Najib’s lawyers demanded his immediate transfer to his home, while the Attorney General’s Office denied challenging the king’s authority but did not say when Najib would be released.