The 1MDB-Tanore Verdict and How Najib’s Sentences Fit Together

Four days after the High Court rejected his bid for house arrest under a royal addendum, Datuk Seri Najib Razak was convicted in a second case. On 26 December 2025 the Kuala Lumpur High Court found him guilty on all 25 charges in what is commonly called the 1MDB-Tanore trial, and imposed 15 years’ imprisonment and fines of RM11.38 billion. An appeal is pending. With the conditional pardon of 18 September 2026 now allowing house arrest in the earlier SRC International case, it is worth setting out how the sentences fit together.

The sentence, step by step

As reported by The Edge, the sentence was built as follows:

• Abuse of power: 15 years’ imprisonment on each of the four charges, with fines of RM303.15 million, RM454.5 million, RM10.4 billion and RM222.85 million respectively.

• Money laundering: five years’ imprisonment on each of the 21 charges.

• All prison terms concurrent, giving an effective term of 15 years.

• Total fine: RM11.38 billion, with imprisonment in default of payment. Press reports put the default term at 10 years.

• Recovery order: RM2.081 billion under section 55(2) of AMLATFPUAA, also with imprisonment in default, reported as two and a half years.

• Commencement: the prison term was ordered to begin after the SRC sentence ends.

No stay of execution was sought at sentencing, and the defence reserved the right to apply for one.

Concurrent inside the case, consecutive between cases

Two sentencing concepts are at work. Sentences that run concurrently are served at the same time, so the longest term sets the total: 25 prison terms produce 15 years, not the sum of them all. Sentences that run consecutively are served one after another. Within the 1MDB-Tanore case the terms are concurrent. As between the two cases, the court ordered the new term to start only when the SRC term is over, so in practice the 1MDB-Tanore sentence follows the SRC sentence.

A fine with imprisonment in default works differently from a prison term. The default term is served only if the fine is not paid. The recovery order under section 55(2) is a separate order to pay, made under the anti-money-laundering statute and again backed by a default term.

Where the conditional pardon fits

The SRC sentence was reduced in February 2024 to six years and a RM50 million fine, with release projected for 23 August 2028 if the fine was paid. On 18 September 2026 the Federal Territories Pardons Board, chaired by His Majesty the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, granted a conditional pardon allowing Najib to serve the remainder of that sentence under house arrest until 23 August 2028, subject to payment of the fine.

That pardon concerns the SRC sentence only. A pardon in one case does not affect a conviction or sentence in another, and the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission said on 18 September 2026 that the position in the 1MDB case had not changed. As lawyers quoted in the press have pointed out, on the orders as they stand the 15-year term begins when the SRC sentence ends, which on the pardon’s terms is 23 August 2028, unless before then the appeal succeeds or a court grants a stay of execution pending appeal. A stay is discretionary and has to be applied for.

The appeal so far

A notice of appeal against both conviction and sentence was filed on the night of 29 December 2025. According to Malay Mail, as at 29 May 2026 the Court of Appeal had not fixed hearing dates, because the trial judge’s written grounds were awaited. Najib had also filed an application to adduce fresh evidence on appeal, relying on section 61 of the Courts of Judicature Act 1964 and rule 7A of the Rules of the Court of Appeal 1994, and case management was held on 22 May 2026. We have not been able to verify later dates.

Because the appeal is pending, we say nothing about the merits of the conviction, the sentence or the fresh-evidence application. Unless and until an appellate court rules otherwise, the conviction and sentence stand.

Other proceedings

A Malay Mail round-up published on 18 September 2026 noted that civil litigation also continues. It reported that the 1MDB civil suit, in which US$5.64 billion is claimed, is at trial with the next date on 15 March 2027; that judgment is awaited in an SRC-related suit over RM42 million whose trial ended on 16 March 2026; and that a stay was granted on 4 September 2026 in the Inland Revenue Board’s RM1.69 billion tax claim. The pardon does not affect any of them.

Practical takeaways

• Concurrent sentences overlap and consecutive sentences stack. A court may also order a new sentence to start only when an existing one ends.

• A fine with a default term means extra imprisonment only if the fine goes unpaid.

• A pardon is specific to the sentence it addresses and leaves other convictions untouched.

• Filing an appeal does not by itself suspend a sentence. A stay of execution must be sought and is discretionary.

• A conviction under appeal remains a conviction until an appellate court says otherwise.

Status

As at 19 September 2026 the 1MDB-Tanore appeal is pending in the Court of Appeal, and no hearing dates had been reported in the sources available to us.

Authorities and sources

• Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act 2009, section 23; Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001, including section 55(2).

• Courts of Judicature Act 1964, section 61; Rules of the Court of Appeal 1994, rule 7A.

• High Court, Kuala Lumpur, 1MDB-Tanore verdict and sentence of 26 December 2025 (no report citation available).

• The Edge report on the verdict and sentence; Malay Mail, 26 and 30 December 2025 and 29 May 2026; Malay Mail and The Star, 18 September 2026; Malay Mail, 2 February 2024; SAYS, explainer on how the house arrest will work.

This article is general legal information only and is current as at 19 September 2026. It is not legal advice and does not create a solicitor-client relationship. Court decisions may be appealed and the law may change; please seek advice on your own circumstances. — Chris & Partners, Advocates & Solicitors