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Najib Razak Sentenced to 15 Years, Fined $2.8B in 1MDB Case
Malaysia's former PM Najib Razak jailed 15 years, fined $2.8B for abuse of power and money laundering in 1MDB scandal; verdict could shake ruling coalition.
MH
by Muhammad Hashir
2025-12-26
Najib Razak Sentenced to 15 Years, Fined $2.8B in 1MDB Case

Former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak was sentenced on Friday to 15 years in prison and fined 11.39 billion ringgit ($2.82 billion) for abuse of power and money laundering in the multibillion-dollar 1MDB scandal, one of the country’s largest financial cases.

Najib, 72, co-founded the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) fund in 2009. Investigators from Malaysia and the United States say at least $4.5 billion was siphoned from the fund, with over $1 billion allegedly ending up in Najib’s personal accounts. Najib was first imprisoned in 2022 in a separate 1MDB case and has consistently claimed he was misled by officials and fugitive financier Jho Low.

High Court Judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah, delivering the verdict over five hours, rejected Najib’s claims that he was deceived by 1MDB officials, calling them implausible and “pure fantasy.” Najib was found guilty on all four counts of abuse of power and all 21 money laundering charges.

“The contention by the accused that the charges against him were a witch hunt and politically motivated were debunked by the cold, hard and incontrovertible evidence against him,” the judge said, emphasizing Najib’s “unmistakable bond and connection” with Jho Low, who allegedly acted as his intermediary in 1MDB matters.

Sentences were set at 15 years for each abuse of power count and five years for each money laundering charge, to be served concurrently after Najib’s current jail term ends in 2028. The court also ordered the recovery of 2.08 billion ringgit in assets, warning that failure to pay fines or return assets could result in additional jail time. Najib’s lawyer, Muhammad Shafee Abdullah, said an appeal would be filed on Monday.

Najib, in a statement read by his lawyer, called on Malaysians to remain calm and vowed to continue fighting, framing his struggle as “an endeavor to uphold justice, the integrity of the constitution, and the sovereignty of the rule of law.”

Funds diverted from 1MDB were reportedly used by Low and associates for luxury assets, including a $120 million superyacht, private jets, high-end artwork, and financing the Hollywood film The Wolf of Wall Street. The court dismissed Najib’s claim that the funds were Saudi royal donations, citing letters allegedly from the royals as likely forgeries.

The verdict comes amid potential political repercussions for Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s coalition government, which includes Najib’s United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) party. Najib’s continued influence in UMNO, even from jail, has been a point of tension within the coalition. Anwar urged parties to accept the ruling with “full patience and wisdom.”

The judgment marks the culmination of a decade-long investigation by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission, complicated by legal, technical, and jurisdictional challenges. MACC Chief Commissioner Azam Baki said the ruling “reflects the fulfillment of our responsibility and duty to the nation.”
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