KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 18 — The government plans to introduce a new law that will enable convicts to serve out their imprisonment sentences at home instead of in prison.

The announcement was made by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim during the tabling of Budget 2025 today.

"The government will draft a new Act to allow home detention as an alternative for certain offences.

"Offenders will be required to stay at a designated detention place, such as a residence, care home, or workers’ dormitory, throughout the detention period, subject to conditions set and monitored by Prison Officers,” he said, without elaborating.

Malaysian law currently does not include house arrest as a form of punishment.

However, Section 3 of the Prisons Act 1995 grants the Home Minister the power to declare any house, building, enclosure or place, or any part thereof, to be a prison for the imprisonment or detention of persons lawfully in custody.

Anwar’s announcement comes months after claims that a purported "supplementary order” from the previous Yang di-Pertuan Agong allowed convicted former minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak to serve the remainder of his jail term under house arrest.

However, the High Court had on July 3 dismissed Najib’s bid to compel the federal government and the Pardons Board to produce the purported "supplementary order”.