Najib Gets To Serve Remainder Of Sentence Under House Arrest, But 5 These M’sians Were Jailed For Stealing Food

Former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak returned home on 10 November after spending more than four years in Kajang Prison, following a court order allowing him to serve the remainder of his SRC International sentence under house arrest.

Meanwhile, several ordinary Malaysians have received jail sentences for stealing food and groceries worth as little as RM61.60. Although the circumstances differ, these cases raise questions about punishment, leniency and fairness in Malaysia.

Five cases of Malaysians jailed for stealing food

1. Father of 5 jailed 6 months for stealing RM394 worth of groceries (2026)

Wan Eskandar Wan Julihi, 43, was sentenced to six months in prison after pleading guilty to stealing groceries, including baby formula, from a Kota Bharu supermarket.

His lawyer said he was unemployed, had five children and suffered from health problems. However, the court also considered his previous cheating conviction, according to Berita Harian.

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2. Dad of two jailed 1 month for stealing RM114 for family’s daily needs (2026)

Muhamad Azrul Haqim Azman, a father of two, has been sentenced to one month in prison after pleading guilty to stealing essential items worth RM113.70 from a supermarket storage area in Kuala Terengganu.

We previously reported that he had allegedly resorted to stealing the items for his family’s daily needs after losing his job and struggling financially, leaving him without a steady source of income.

The court was also told that he suffers from high blood pressure, has no previous criminal record, and that this was his first offence.

3. Mother initially jailed 2 months for stealing RM374.69 worth of groceries (2025)

Lini Ahmat, a mother of two, was sentenced to two months in prison for stealing groceries and daily necessities from a Brickfields supermarket, as reported by Utusan Malaysia.

However, the Kuala Lumpur High Court subsequently reduced her sentence to six days, finding the original punishment excessive. She was released after serving the reduced term.

4. Woman jailed 3 days for stealing RM286.91 worth of frozen food (2024)

A single mother, identified as Chew Fong Cze, was sentenced to three days in prison and fined RM500 for stealing frozen food from a supermarket in Cheras, according to Utusan Malaysia.

The 45-year-old told the court that she had stolen the items because she wanted to provide food for her 9-year-old child.

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5. Couple jailed 7 months each for stealing RM133 worth of food (2019)

Hafizullah Hamidi and his wife, Azrina Noorul Abidin, were each sentenced to seven months in prison for stealing cheese, longan and milk from a Subang Jaya supermarket.

According to Harian Metro, both pleaded guilty and had previous drug-related convictions.

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So, how is Najib’s case different?

Najib was initially sentenced to 12 years in prison and fined RM210 million over the SRC International case involving RM42 million, but his prison term was later reduced to 6 years and his fine to RM50 million.

A conditional royal pardon in September 2026 subsequently allowed him to serve the remainder of his sentence under house arrest, provided the fine was paid.

Following payment, the Kuala Lumpur High Court issued a new order on 10 November allowing him to remain at his Langgak Duta residence until 23 August 2028.

He is scheduled to return to Kajang Prison on 24 August 2028 in connection with his separate 1MDB conviction, for which he is appealing a 15-year prison sentence.

What are your thoughts on this? Let us know down in the comments!

Also read: House Arrest Gets a New Address? Najib’s Home Appears as “Prison Mansion” on Google Maps