What's happened
On December 26, 2025, Malaysia's High Court sentenced former Prime Minister Najib Razak to an additional 15 years in prison for abuse of power and money laundering linked to the 1MDB scandal. Convicted on all counts involving about 2.28 billion ringgit ($540 million), Najib is already serving six years for a separate 1MDB case, with the new sentence to begin after 2028. He was fined 11.4 billion ringgit ($2.8 billion).
What's behind the headline?
Deepening Legal Consequences and Political Fallout
Najib Razak's additional 15-year sentence marks a significant escalation in Malaysia's efforts to address the 1MDB scandal, underscoring the judiciary's resolve despite political complexities. The staggering fine of nearly $3 billion and concurrent prison terms reflect the scale of corruption uncovered.
Institutional Challenges and Reform Prospects
The verdict exposes persistent structural weaknesses in Malaysia's governance, particularly the conflation of legal advisory and prosecutorial roles, which has historically hindered impartial accountability. Transparency International Malaysia highlights this as a critical reform area, with the government under Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim facing pressure to implement promised institutional changes.
Political Tensions Within the Ruling Coalition
Najib remains influential within UMNO, a key coalition partner in Anwar's government, complicating anti-corruption efforts. The ruling has intensified factional strains, with some UMNO leaders threatening to reconsider their alliance. Anwar's administration must balance reformist ambitions against coalition stability ahead of upcoming regional and national elections.
Broader Implications
The case serves as a litmus test for Malaysia's judicial independence and political will to confront entrenched corruption. The outcome will shape public trust and Malaysia's international reputation. The government's response, particularly regarding political financing laws and institutional reforms, will determine whether this verdict translates into lasting change or selective accountability.
What the papers say
Reuters provides a comprehensive overview of Najib's conviction and the political ramifications, quoting Transparency International Malaysia's Raymon Ram on the need for institutional reforms to embed integrity beyond episodic efforts. Reuters also details the tensions within Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim's coalition, noting UMNO's mixed reactions and the risk of coalition instability.
Al Jazeera offers insight into the trial's evidentiary basis, highlighting the judge's dismissal of Najib's defense claims and the scale of misappropriated funds used for luxury assets and Hollywood films. It also covers Najib's denial of wrongdoing and his apology for mishandling the scandal.
The New York Times contextualizes Najib's fall from political power and the international dimensions of the 1MDB scandal, including the involvement of financier Jho Low and the impact on global markets.
The Guardian succinctly summarizes the verdict and Najib's expanded prison term, emphasizing the case's significance as the largest trial in the 1MDB saga.
Together, these sources provide a layered understanding of the legal, political, and societal dimensions of Najib's conviction and its implications for Malaysia's fight against corruption.
How we got here
Najib Razak, Malaysia's prime minister from 2009 to 2018, co-founded the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) fund, which was later exposed as a massive corruption scandal involving the theft of over $4.5 billion. Najib was first convicted in 2020 for embezzlement linked to 1MDB and began serving a reduced six-year sentence in 2022. The scandal led to his party's 2018 election defeat and triggered global investigations.
Go deeper
- What reforms is Malaysia considering after Najib's conviction?
- How is Najib's party UMNO reacting to the verdict?
- What impact does the 1MDB scandal have on Malaysia's politics?
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Mohammad Najib bin Tun Haji Abdul Razak is a Malaysian politician who served as the 6th prime minister of Malaysia from April 2009 to May 2018. He is the son of another former prime minister, Abdul Razak Hussein.
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Low Taek Jho (born 4 November 1981), known professionally as Jho Low, is a Malaysian businessman and fugitive who has been wanted by Interpol since 2016 for his key role in the 1Malaysia Development Berhad scandal. Low is alleged to have stolen over US...
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Dato' Seri Anwar bin Ibrahim is a Malaysian politician who has twice served as the 12th and 16th Leader of the Opposition since May 2020 and from August 2008 to March 2015.
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Kuala Lumpur, officially the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur and colloquially referred to as KL, is a federal territory and the capital city of Malaysia.
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Malaysia is a country in Southeast Asia. The federal constitutional monarchy consists of thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two regions, Peninsular Malaysia and Borneo's East Malaysia.
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1Malaysia Development Berhad is an insolvent Malaysian strategic development company, wholly owned by the Minister of Finance. Since 2015, the company has been under heavy scrutiny for its suspicious money transactions and evidence pointing to money laund