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After nine years as Malaysia's prime minister, Najib Razak was driven from office in 2018 when he lost a general election to Mahathir Mohamad. The result was a political earthquake in Malaysia, where the Barisan Nasional coalition had held sway for more than 60 years. It also exposed Najib to prosecution over the vast corruption scandal engulfing state fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), which he established. Police seized luxury goods worth millions of dollars from Najib and his wife, Rosmah Mansoor, and Najib has since been charged over his role in the scandal, including several counts of criminal breach of trust, money laundering and abuse of power.
- Rosmah Mansor has been asked to give up the items in her possession and pay US$346 million, or a sum determined by the court
- According to a court filing, about 320 payments were made for the purchases of the luxury goods that included jewellery, watches and handbags
As cries of impunity and special treatment rang out, PM Anwar Ibrahim was thrust onto the back foot by his own deputy reportedly filing an affidavit in support of Najib’s application.
Without a formidable and charismatic replacement, People’s Justice Party of Malaysia remains firmly wedded to its president’s political fortunes – leaving a political outfit that one insider described as ‘paralysed’.
Malaysia’s disgraced ex-PM on Wednesday persisted with his claim that the country’s former king decreed he should be released from prison to serve the rest of his sentence from the comfort of his own home.
A Malaysian public that’s accustomed to politics shaping prosecutions largely sees PM Anwar Ibrahim following in the footsteps of his predecessors, while his allies walk free.
Najib claims the king had issued an addendum to his original decree that would allow Najib to serve his reduced sentence ‘under condition of home arrest’.
The defendants, from PetroSaudi, are accused of having created a scheme in 2009 under which 1MDB, would set up a joint venture based on false premises.
A Kuala Lumpur high court had thrown out the four charges and acquitted Muhyiddin in August, ruling those had not detailed his alleged offences
The order is part of an anti-graft investigation after Mirzan’s name appeared in leaks of offshore business records that were revealed by a global media network.
Readers discuss the decision to halve the prison sentence of Malaysia’s former prime minister, and the enactment of a common civil code by the state of Uttarakhand in India.
Ex-1MDB general counsel Jasmine Loo told Malaysia’s High Court she would prepare documents for Jho Low, who would hand-deliver them to Najib Razak’s home in Kuala Lumpur.
Mirzan and Mokhzani said they are compiling all relevant documents, but asked Malaysia’s anti-graft body for patience as they try to collate 43 years’ worth of information.
Malaysian authorities are counting on the convicted former Goldman Sachs banker, Roger Ng’s cooperation, to recover as much as possible from the billions looted from the fund.
The decision to halve Najib’s sentence and cut his fine for corruption linked to the plunder of the 1MDB state fund enraged the public and reopened wounds on all sides of Malaysia’s festering political divide.
Najib will be freed in August 2028 after his 12-year jail term was halved by Pardons Board led by King Sultan Abdullah, in one of his final acts in office.
Mahathir Mohamad and Daim Zainuddin are among the old adversaries to be swept up in a wide-ranging anti-graft probe. Anwar denies he’s had a hand in it. Still, at least one observer says it’s a ‘smart move’.
Najib was jailed in 2022 after being convicted of corruption linked to the plunder of state fund 1MDB. The decision means he could now be eligible for release as early as next year.
Mystery surrounds the fate of the disgraced former leader, who was jailed in 2022 for 12 years for corruption linked to the 1MDB scandal.
The probe against Mirzan Mahathir concerns the sale of stakes in some government-linked corporations.
The ringgit has slid more than 1 per cent in January, and is about 3 per cent away from a 25-year low reached in October.
Najib’s lawyers contended that the statements by several individuals in the documentary were in contempt of court as his corruption trial was still ongoing.
Under ex-PM Najib Razak’s tenure, Malaysia saw billions of dollars of Chinese investments mainly via the Belt and Road Initiative, some of which were later axed.
The Pardons Board is set to meet later this month and is likely to decide on Najib’s application for a royal pardon, local media said.
The ex-PM’s lawyers say the ‘Man on the Run’ documentary is prejudicial towards ongoing corruption trials linking Najib to billions of ringgit allegedly siphoned out of the state fund.
During a 2017 visit to the US, former Malaysian PM Najib Razak and his delegation stayed at the Trump International Hotel for 10 nights and spent a total of US$248,962.
A 58-storey building in Kuala Lumpur belonging to the close ally of ex-PM Mahathir Mohamad was seized as part of the investigation.
Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar reportedly said the rail link remained viable if privately financed and realigned, but resurrecting the project could cost more than Malaysia’s government can afford.
Sirul Azhar Umar, who was convicted of the murder of Mongolian Altantuya Shaariibuu, has walked free after a landmark ruling by Australia’s High Court that outlawed indefinite immigration detention.
The protest comes amid public outrage over what has been described as a betrayal of PM Anwar Ibrahim’s reform promises and anti-corruption pledge.
