Former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak, currently serving a prison term in connection to a corruption case, has filed an application seeking to serve the remainder of his sentence under house arrest. This move comes two months after his sentence was halved, citing an order allegedly issued by the then-king during a pardon's board meeting.

In the surprise application filed on Wednesday, Najib claimed to possess "clear information" regarding the alleged order from Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah, reducing his 12-year jail term and significantly slashing a fine. The application, initially scheduled for a hearing on Thursday, has been postponed to April 17.

Najib's plea implicates seven entities, including the pardons board, home minister, and attorney-general, accusing them of concealing the purported order from the Sultan "in bad faith." However, Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail has denied knowledge of such an order, emphasizing that he wasn't part of the pardons board.

The 70-year-old former premier, who has served less than two years of his sentence, was convicted in a corruption case linked to the multibillion-dollar looting of state fund 1MDB. He allegedly misappropriated funds from the 1MDB development fund, leading to a national scandal and his subsequent conviction.

Despite his imprisonment, Najib remains influential within his party, the United Malays National Organization (UMNO), which is part of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim's unity government. Najib has consistently maintained his innocence, attributing the scandal to Malaysian financier Low Taek Jho, who remains at large.

Najib's application for house arrest comes amid ongoing legal proceedings in his separate graft trial related to the 1MDB scandal.