December 28, 2025 | 11:09 am
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Former Prime Minister (PM) of Malaysia, Najib Razak, was found guilty on Friday of money laundering and abuse of power related to the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) scandal. According to Al Jazeera, Najib has been sentenced to 15 years in prison in this multibillion-dollar trial.
Reported by Anadolu, the case originated from the prolonged scandal at 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), a state investment fund accused of embezzling billions of dollars between 2009 and 2014. Najib Razak, who served as prime minister from 2009 to 2018, has faced several trials related to this case. He is currently serving a separate prison sentence related to funds from SRC International, a former 1MDB subsidiary.
The Kuala Lumpur High Court, presided over by Judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah, found Najib Razak guilty on all 25 charges, including four counts of abuse of power and 21 counts of money laundering, related to the illegal transfer of approximately RM 2.2 billion to RM 2.3 billion from 1MDB to his personal accounts.
Sequerah imposed a 15-year jail term on Najib Razak for each abuse of power charge and five years for each money laundering charge, to run concurrently. The court also imposed a total fine of around RM11.3 billion to RM11.38 billion, with an additional penalty equivalent to the crime proceeds, as reported by CNA News.
The judge ordered that the sentence start after Najib completes his current six-year prison term, meaning the new sentence will begin in 2028.
In delivering the nearly five-hour verdict, Sequerah rejected Najib Razak's claims that the prosecution was politically motivated, stating that the evidence showed he had abused his "extremely powerful position" in 1MDB.
The judge dismissed the defense's assertion that the funds were a donation from the Saudi royal family and described financial transfers involving entities linked to financial fugitive Jho Low as indications of money laundering "layering."
Prosecutors argued that Najib misused his roles as prime minister, finance minister, and chairman of 1MDB to channel a vast sum of money into his private accounts. Described as a marathon process, the trial lasted six years, involved 302 days, and included 76 witnesses, including Najib himself.
Najib, 72, currently detained at Kajang Prison in Selangor, said after being sentenced that his "mind is calm but his heart is heavy," and that he will continue to fight for his rights through legal means, while his lawyer confirmed plans to appeal.
Previously, Najib was convicted in 2020 in another 1MDB-related case and initially sentenced to 12 years, later reduced to six years after receiving a government pardon.
His latest sentence came days after the court rejected his request to serve the remainder of his sentence under house arrest, according to CNA reports.
Despite the verdict, Najib Razak continues to receive support from some members of the United Malays National Organization (UMNO), now part of the unity government under Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.
Read: Malaysia: Ex-PM Najib Razak Sentenced to 15 Years on New Charges
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