No 'barbed-wire' welcome for Najib, tens of thousands in donations pour in hourly

There will be no barbed-wire welcome awaiting former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak when he moves from Kajang Prison to his Jalan Duta residence to serve the remainder of his sentence under house arrest, provided he meets the RM50 million fine condition.

Sentul district police chief Anuar Bakri Abdul Salam has dismissed rumours that stringent security measures, including the installation of barbed wire or metal fencing, would be erected around the bungalow.

“There isn’t. There won’t be such tight security. The Prison Department will be responsible for the inside, while the police will be responsible for the outside. That’s just a rumour,” he was quoted as saying by TV3 when met outside the residence today.

Anuar held a coordination meeting with the Prison Department at the residence to assess security arrangements in connection with the proposed implementation of house arrest.

However, he said no final decision had been made, as the authorities had yet to receive the official order on the matter.

“For now, there are no details yet. We are just assessing Najib’s residence, among other things.

“The Prison Department asked the police to be present to look at the security aspects. In terms of detention, the Prison Department will be responsible,” he added.

'Tens of thousands pour in hourly'

In a related development, Umno secretary-general Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki told reporters in Perak that he hoped the court would consider unfreezing Najib’s assets, which he said was among the constraints preventing the former premier from settling the RM50 million fine.

Asked whether there were efforts to unfreeze the assets, he acknowledged that this was among the steps he hoped could be taken.

“Yes, we hope the court will also take this matter into consideration,” he added.

On the Najib Solidarity Fund launched last Friday to help the former premier settle the fine, Asyraf (below) said tens of thousands of ringgit were pouring in every hour.

“We expect the collection to reach RM2 million today. It can be said that every hour, there is an additional RM40,000 to RM50,000 in contributions.

“This is the result of the funds we have collected, where we did not make it compulsory for members to contribute. Instead, it is voluntary for anyone who wishes to help,” he added.

Earlier, Malaysiakini reported Najib’s wife, Rosmah Mansor, revealed that donations had also come from abroad, including Italy and Canada.

Last Friday, Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar granted Najib a conditional pardon, allowing him to serve the remainder of his sentence under house arrest until Aug 23, 2028, subject to payment of the RM50 million fine.

Najib, 73, has been serving his sentence at Kajang Prison since Aug 23, 2022, after being convicted in 2020 of offences involving RM42 million belonging to SRC International Sdn Bhd.

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