Malaysia - January 2026

On 26 December 2025, Malaysia’s High Court found former prime minister Mohammad Najib bin Abdul Razak guilty on four counts of abuse of power and 21 counts of money laundering in the largest remaining case linked to the 1MDB corruption scandal. The court sentenced Najib to 15 years’ imprisonment, imposed fines totaling MYR 11.4 billion (USD 2.8 billion), and ordered the recovery of over MYR 2 billion (USD 480 million)in assets. The judgment followed years of litigation and came days after a separate court rejected Najib’s bid to serve an earlier sentence on related charges under house arrest. Observers described the verdict as a significant demonstration of judicial independence and accountability, particularly given Najib’s continued political influence and longstanding concerns that senior political figures might evade punishment.  

Sources: Asia Sentinel , Nikkei Asia