Najib Razak Receives Second Jail Term in 1MDB Scandal
Former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for abuse of power and money laundering, marking his second conviction related to the multi-billion-dollar 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) state fund scandal.
The verdict, delivered on Friday in Putrajaya, found Najib guilty on four charges of abuse of power and 21 charges of money laundering. He was accused of misappropriating approximately 2.3 billion Malaysian ringgit ($569 million) from the 1MDB fund. The 15-year sentences for abuse of power and five-year sentences for money laundering are set to run concurrently under Malaysian law.
Previous Convictions and Ongoing Legal Proceedings
Najib Razak, 72, is already serving a six-year jail term from a separate 2020 conviction. In that case, he was found guilty of abuse of power, money laundering, and criminal breach of trust involving 42 million ringgit ($10 million) from SRC International, a former 1MDB unit.
Earlier this week, a court rejected Najib's application to complete his current sentence under house arrest. His legal team has consistently maintained that he was misled by advisors, specifically financier Jho Low, who denies wrongdoing and remains at large. However, this argument has been rejected by Malaysian courts.
Najib's wife, Rosmah Mansor, was sentenced to ten years in jail for bribery in 2022 and is currently free on bail pending an appeal.
Impact on Malaysian Politics
The 1MDB scandal, which garnered international attention a decade ago, contributed to a significant shift in Malaysian politics. In 2018, Najib's Barisan Nasional coalition experienced a historic electoral defeat, ending its continuous governance since 1957.
The recent legal decisions have also highlighted internal divisions within Malaysia's current ruling coalition, which includes Najib's party, the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO).
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has urged all political figures to respect the court's decisions. Tony Pua, a former Malaysian lawmaker, commented that the verdict signals to the country's leadership that accountability for corruption can extend to the highest office. Cynthia Gabriel, founding director of Malaysia's Center to Combat Corruption and Cronyism, expressed concern that despite the attention on the 1MDB scandal, anti-corruption efforts in the country may have seen limited progress.