Malaysia’s Najib awaits verdict in biggest 1MDB trial, political stability at stake

Jailed former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak will hear a verdict on Friday in the biggest trial he faces over the multibillion-dollar 1MDB scandal, a ruling that could further strain the government of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.

Investigators say about $4.5 billion was siphoned from 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), a state fund co-founded by Najib in 2009, with more than $1 billion allegedly flowing into his personal bank accounts. Najib, 72, apologized last year for mishandling the scandal while in office but has consistently denied wrongdoing, saying he was misled by 1MDB officials and fugitive financier Low Taek Jho, widely known as Jho Low.

In 2020, Najib was convicted of graft and money laundering related to funds from a 1MDB unit and was sentenced to 12 years in prison. After exhausting his appeals, he began serving the sentence in 2022. Earlier this year, a pardons board chaired by Malaysia’s king halved the sentence, making Najib eligible for release in 2028.

On Friday, the Kuala Lumpur High Court will decide whether to convict Najib on four additional corruption charges and 21 counts of money laundering involving the alleged transfer of about 2.2 billion ringgit ($539 million) from 1MDB. If convicted, Najib could face prison terms of between 15 and 20 years on each charge, as well as fines of up to five times the value of the alleged misappropriated funds. Any penalties could be stayed pending further appeals.

The verdict comes days after another court rejected Najib’s bid to serve the remainder of his sentence under house arrest, a decision that reignited tensions within Anwar’s governing coalition, which includes Najib’s United Malays National Organization (UMNO).

UMNO had campaigned against Anwar in the 2022 election but later joined his coalition to form a government after a hung parliament. Some UMNO leaders criticized the court’s decision on house arrest, while others condemned social media posts by Anwar’s allies celebrating the ruling.

Anwar urged restraint this week, calling on all sides to respond with “patience and wisdom” and warning against inflaming political tensions. A guilty verdict could further strain ties within the coalition, with some UMNO figures calling for a review of the party’s alliance with Anwar or even a withdrawal from government. An acquittal, however, could weaken Anwar, who has faced pressure to uphold his image as an anti-corruption reformer.

Critics have accused Anwar of betraying reformist supporters after prosecutors dropped some corruption charges against Najib and other UMNO figures. Anwar has repeatedly said he does not interfere in judicial proceedings.