New Delhi, Sept. 18 -- The decision came at a suddenly convened Pardons Board meeting, a week after the board deferred Najib's latest clemency application to a future meeting. It marked an unprecedented use of house arrest as a form of royal clemency in Malaysia and could renew debate over royal powers, the rule of law and the treatment of Malaysia's most prominent corruption convict.

A statement issued by the Legal Affairs Department under the Prime Minister's office said Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar has granted a "conditional pardon" for Najib during a Pardons Board meeting. Najib will be allowed to serve the remainder of his prison term under house arrest until Aug. 23, 2028, if he pays the 50 million ringgit fine ($12 million) imposed by ...