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Joseph Sipalan

A fundraiser to help pay disgraced former leader Najib Razak’s 50 million ringgit (US$12.3 million) fine has become a lightning rod for insults and mockery, as Malaysians continue to pile criticism on a decision last week to allow him to spend the rest of his jail sentence under house arrest.
King Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar last Friday granted Najib a “conditional pardon”, which will allow the jailed ex-prime minister to complete his term in the comfort of his home – provided he first pays off his fine.
In response to the royal decree, Najib’s Umno has launched a donation drive urging its members and the public to voluntarily contribute to the party’s efforts to fulfil the condition of the pardon so he can be transferred as soon as possible from Kajang prison to his home in the upscale suburb of Langgak Duta in Kuala Lumpur.
The party raised over 1 million ringgit as of the latest update on Saturday by Umno secretary general Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki, barely a day after the fund’s launch.
“Please continue donating even if it is 10 ringgit,” Asyraf said in a social media post.
But Friday’s house arrest decision triggered outrage among Malaysians, who had voted out Najib and the former ruling Umno in a watershed 2018 national election over persistent allegations of widespread corruption, capped by the 1MDB multibillion-dollar scandal.

Umno’s appeal has drawn a strong response, but not in the way that it had hoped. Some Malaysians projected their anger into meme-worthy posts on social media, where screenshots of 1 sen (0.01 ringgit) donations to Najib’s fundraiser have gone viral.
One of the more popular posts showed a screenshot of an online banking receipt of a transfer of 1 sen with the description “Bapa Sakau Negara”, which roughly translates to Nation’s Father of Thievery – a not-so-subtle jab at allegations of grand corruption at 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), the state fund which Najib had founded.
Screenshots of a separate 1 sen donation took a decidedly Gen Z approach, describing the donation as a contribution to “free my boi Najib”.

Friday’s house arrest decision was the second pardon granted to Najib.
In 2024, then-king sultan Abdullah Ahmad Shah issued a decree that halved the former leader’s 12-year sentence and slashed his fine from 210 million ringgit to 50 million ringgit, two years after he was jailed for siphoning 42 million ringgit from SRC International, a former 1MDB subsidiary.
The stream of snarky “donations” poured in as Najib’s family thanked donors. Najib’s daughter, Nooryana Najwa, said her father was “deeply moved” by the support.
“Daddy really did not expect so many people to be willing to contribute,” Nooryana said in a social media post on Sunday.
In a separate post, Najib’s wife, Rosmah Mansor, said on Sunday that supporters from overseas, including Singapore, Brunei, Italy and Canada, had contacted her to express their support and willingness to contribute to the fund.
“Today I realise who our friends are, those who have stood by us through good times and bad,” Rosmah said.

Analysts have said that a successful transfer to house arrest for Najib could galvanise Umno, which is enjoying a resurgence following back-to-back victories over federal partners Pakatan Harapan (PH) in two recent state elections.
The decisive wins in Johor and Negeri Sembilan over Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s PH coalition have emboldened Umno, as it demands snap polls in the hope that its current momentum can help it reclaim Putrajaya.
Disillusioned supporters of Anwar and PH have pointed to Najib’s latest pardon as yet another sign of their failure to deliver on promised reforms.
Experts, however, do not expect Anwar to buckle under Umno’s pressure to call for early elections, as he still has time to win back support before his term expires at the end of next year.
“I believe PMX will fully utilise the mandate,” said Mazlan Ali, a political analyst at the University of Technology Malaysia, using a popular term referring to Anwar.
“The available time will be used to carry out institutional reforms and strengthen the parties within the PH coalition.”


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Malaysia

A supporter of the former Malaysian prime minister Najib Razak stands outside Razak’s house in Kuala Lumpur on Monday. Photo: EPA

A 1 sen donation towards ex-Malaysian prime minister Najib Razak’s fundraising, with the description “Bapa Sakau Negara”, which roughly translates to Nation’s Father of Thievery. Photo: Faizal Rahman/Facebook

A 1 sen donation towards ex-Malaysian prime minister Najib Razak’s fundraising. Photo: James Chin/Facebook

epa13255104 Members of the media wait near a Royal Malaysia Police mobile police station vehicle outside the residence of former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 22 September 2026. Najib remains in Kajang Prison while his legal team studies the terms and practical implications of his conditional pardon, including the requirement to pay a 50 million Malaysian ringgit fine (approximately 10.7 million euros). The pardon allows him to serve the remainder of his prison sentence under house arrest until 23 August 2028, subject to the payment of the fine and other conditions.  EPA/FAZRY ISMAIL

Former Malaysian prime minister Najib Razak arrives at the Kuala Lumpur Court Complex on October 30, 2024. Photo: AFP

A mobile police station is stationed outside the residence of former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak where he is expected to serve the rest of his prison term under house arrest in Kuala Lumpur. Photo: AP

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Najib’s wife, Rosmah Mansor, claims that supporters from Singapore, Brunei, Italy and Canada are willing to contribute to the fund


Najib’s wife, Rosmah Mansor, claims that supporters from Singapore, Brunei, Italy and Canada are willing to contribute to the fund.


Najib Razak’s fundraising in Malaysia draws 1 sen donations, mockery

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Najib’s wife, Rosmah Mansor, claims that supporters from Singapore, Brunei, Italy and Canada are willing to contribute to the fund

Najib’s wife, Rosmah Mansor, claims that supporters from Singapore, Brunei, Italy and Canada are willing to contribute to the fund