As ex-PM Najib Razak returns from the comfort of his ‘prison’ accommodation (the Governor’s house at Kajang Jail) to the full luxury of his own grand residence (the product of years of kleptocracy) others remain to pay the punishment.

One particular whipping boy at the forefront of many minds is Azila Hadri, Najib’s body guard, who whilst on duty on October 19th 2006 had deserted his post to speed with a colleague over to the house of Najib’s advisor from where they kidnapped and then murdered a woman they did not know.

In a plea for his life the former guard later claimed he had been ordered to do this by Najib who had called him into his office to explain that his former translator and alleged lover, Altantuya Shaariibuu, was a spy. It is well known that Altantuya had been noisily demanding cash to pay for her unborn child outside Baginda’s house – otherwise she threatened to spill the beans on Najib’s corrupt Scorpene Submarine deal (later detailed in a French court).

Azilah’s death sentenced was indeed commuted in 2024, not least because Altantuya’s family had pleaded for mercy based on their request that the Malaysian courts should instead proceed with their civil case against Baginda and the Malaysian government. Instead Azilah is condemned to life in harsh prison conditions for following orders from above.

Meanwhile, Najib is now free to enjoy his ‘conditional pardon’ with his jail sentence –  already earlier halved by a previous royal intervention – commuted to ‘house arrest’ (expect to see his entourage about town).

Najib, of course, was separately convicted to a further 15 years in jail in December for yet another kleptocracy offence, namely the 1MDB scandal itself. Since he is appealing, the new incarceration threat remains suspended while the case grinds through to the Federal Court.

There is therefore a political logic to the timing of these manoeuvres, which have taken place in the wake of PKR’s dire state election results earlier this year. The existing sentence for looting the KWAP civil service pension fund does not expire till August 2028. Najib’s key allies will hope to win back power at the next election due at the latest in February 2028.

Most have themselves been caught and either charged or convicted for similar gross thefts and are now let off, thanks to their manipulation of a system of pardons and commutations conveniently on offer for those with the power to return favours to those who grant them. No need to mention names to any Malaysian who can read.

Once they have exploited these favours to seize back control these warlords plainly consider that they will have every opportunity to carve a deal with the grandest kleptocrat of all to ensure that any further sentences he may receive are also served ‘at home’. Alternatively, if their ruthless plans are better served by putting him back behind bars, they can call the shots.

Meanwhile, those who have brought these crimes to light can expect little such mercy for acting in the pubic interest. They include the author of this website, whose two year jail sentence for alleged defamation was dismissed as a mistrial by the courts at the start of this year.

Despite that ruling, the egregious charges, brought by one royal figure in such a way as to heap unwarranted shame on another, which were revived by Najib’s political allies in 2021 years after being originally dismissed by prosecutors, and were then put to trial through multiple violations of judicial procedure, remain unrescinded by the ‘reformasi’ government.

The only fly in the ointment remains the failure to secure the pardon of Jho Low himself. Negotiations towards just such a solution have taken place several times, the latest being during a settlement with China over 1MDB last year (see the upcoming book The China Contract).

Eventually, Malaysians can perhaps expect to see Jho Low detailed back to KL as the Ambassador from China to a future Najib-friendly government.