A royal order, a jailed former prime minister, and a dispute over who has the final say.

Malaysia’s king has warned the government not to challenge his authority in Najib Razak’s transfer to house arrest.

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Razak was due to leave prison after his party paid a $12m fine as part of the conditions of his royal pardon.

But the transfer was suspended after the attorney general sought clarification on the court order.

Najib is appealing a separate 15-year sentence for abuse of power and money laundering.

So, what is behind the standoff between Malaysia’s monarchy and government?

Presenter: James Bays

Guests:

Ibrahim Suffian – Co-founder and programmes director of the Merdeka Center for Opinion Research

James Chin – Professor of Asian Studies at the University of Tasmania

Bridget Welsh – Honorary research associate at the University of Nottingham, Malaysia