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Malaysian Prime Minister
Imprisoned former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak was convicted Friday following a corruption trial tied to multibillion-dollar looting of the 1MDB state investment fund. The nation's High Court found Najib, 72, guilty on three counts of abuse of power. Rulings on additional charges were still being delivered Friday afternoon. Authorities said he siphoned more than $700 million into his personal bank accounts from the 1MDB fund. Najib, who served as prime minister from 2009 to 2018, currently is serving a prison sentence after being convicted in an earlier case linked to the 1MDB scandal, which led to his government's defeat in 2018. He was sentenced to 12 years in prison in 2020 for abuse of power, criminal breach of trust and money laundering involving 42 million ringgit ($10.3 million) channelled into his accounts from SRC International, a former unit of 1MDB. He began his sentence in August 2022 after losing a final appeal, becoming Malaysia's first former leader to be ..
A Malaysian court Monday rejected former Prime Minister Najib Razak's bid to serve the remainder of his graft sentence under house arrest. The court ruled that a rare royal order issued by the nation's former king was not valid and not made in accordance with constitutional requirements. Najib's lawyer told the court they plan to appeal the verdict. The 72-year-old former prime minister will serve the remainder of his term in prison, scheduled to end in August 2028 after the Pardons Board cut the 12-year sentence by half last year. Najib is serving time after being convicted in a trial linked to the multibillion-dollar looting of the 1MDB state fund that toppled his government in 2018. Najib was sentenced to 12 years in prison in 2020 for abuse of power, criminal breach of trust and money laundering involving 42 million ringgit ($10.3 million) channeled into his bank accounts from SRC International, a former unit of 1MDB. He began his sentence in August 2022 after losing his fina
Malaysia's High Court on Wednesday ordered imprisoned former Prime Minister Najib Razak to enter a defense in his second corruption trial over the multibillion-dollar looting of the 1MDB state investment fund. Najib set up the 1Malaysia Development Berhad state fund shortly after taking power in 2009 to promote economic development, but the fund amassed billions in debt. Investigators allege more than USD 4.5 billion was stolen from the fund and laundered by his associates to finance Hollywood films and extravagant purchases. The prosecution established its case on four charges of abuse of power to obtain over USD 700 million from the fund that went into Najib's bank accounts between 2011 and 2014, and 21 counts of money laundering involving the same amount, trial judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah said Wednesday. He said evidence showed Najib had a vested interest in 1MDB, and his pivotal role in all relevant transactions that eventually plunged the fund into debt. Testimony by witness
Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday called on Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, who is visiting India for the first time after becoming PM in 2022. Ibrahim began his three-day visit to India on Monday night . On Tuesday, Ibrahim held talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi focusing on resetting the relations that came under some strain during the tenure of Mahathir Mohamad. India and Malaysia on Tuesday elevated their ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership.
A Malaysian court on Wednesday dismissed a bid by imprisoned former Prime Minister Najib Razak to serve his remaining corruption sentence under house arrest. In an April application, Najib said he had clear information that then-King Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah issued an addendum order allowing him to finish his sentence under house arrest. Najib claimed the addendum was issued during a Jan 29 pardons board meeting chaired by Sultan Abdullah, which also cut his 12-year jail sentence by half and sharply reduced a fine. Najib's counsel, Mohamed Shafee Abdullah, said it was disappointing for the High Court to rule Wednesday that the government has no legal duty to verify if such an order existed. He said they would file an appeal. The court said there is no legal duty but in terms of ethics, the government should have answered, Shafee told a news conference at the court building. In his application, Najib has accused the pardons board, home minister, attorney-general and four ..
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim on Thursday rejected the notion that China's dominance is to be feared, calling China a true friend at the end of Premier Li Qiang's visit to mark 50 years of diplomatic ties between their countries. While the leaders raised some contentious bilateral issues, Anwar said they discussed them as equal partners, as trusted friends. He didn't give details but likely referred to the prickly issue of overlapping territorial claims in the South China Sea. People say, well, Malaysia is a growing economy. Don't let China abuse its privilege and extort from the country. I said no. To the contrary, we want to benefit from one another, we want to learn from one another and we want to profit from this engagement, Anwar told some 200 business leaders at a luncheon attended by Li. Anwar said he rebuked the incessant propaganda that we should cast aspersions and fear the dominance of China economically, militarily, technologically. We do not. We in Malaysia, .
Hundreds of people staged an anti-government rally Saturday in the Malaysian capital, accusing Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim of helping his key ally escape prosecution in exchange for political support. Prosecutors unexpectedly dropped 47 corruption charges against Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi on Sept 4, late in the process of his trail. The court approved the application for dismissal but refused to grant Zahid a full acquittal, which means he can be recharged. Speakers addressing the crowd Saturday in Kuala Lumpur accused Anwar's government of interfering with the case to let Zahid off the hook in return for political support. Some protesters in the opposition-backed rally wore white shirts emblazoned with the words Fight Corruption. They marched in the city centre chanting, Charge Zahid, Reform is dead and Down with Anwar. Protester Muhamed Yahya said there was a hidden hand at work that led to the charges against Zahid being dropped. They used the back door, he ...
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said on Monday his country would invest in the development of Indonesia's new capital on Borneo island, which both nations share. Anwar made his first overseas trip to Jakarta since taking office in November, saying at least 10 Malaysian companies have committed to invest in Nusantara, the new capital that was chosen in 2019 to replace Jakarta, some 2,000 kilometres (1,240 miles) away. The city of about 10 million on the densely populated main island of Java has been sinking due to environmental degradation and overcrowding. The main cause is uncontrolled groundwater extraction exacerbated by the rising levels of the Java Sea. Anwar cited the proximity of Nusantara to Malaysia's Sabah and Sarawak states and federal territories on Borneo island, saying the new capital's growth will benefit the region's economy. The first phase of development of Nusantara started in March last year, and is expected to be completed in 2045. Anwar and Indonesian