The former prime minister of Malaysia has been sentenced to at least four 15-year prison terms for abuse of power and 21 5-year terms for money laundering. The sentences are in connection with the multi-billion-dollar scandal in the state investment fund.
According to the High Court, ex-PM Najib Razak misappropriated nearly 2.3 billion Malaysian ringgit from the nation’s sovereign wealth fund, 1Malaysia Development Berhad of 1MDB.
The former official was already in prison when he received his new sentences. He has been in jail since 2022.
The 1MDB scandal erupted years ago, when it was revealed that money from the state-owned wealth fund was diverted into personal pockets, including Najib’s. He maintained, however, that he was duped by advisers, specifically financier Jho Low, who remains at large.
The former PM however remains popular with many Malaysians, some of whom protested the denial of his appeal for house arrest earlier last week.
The current leader of Malaysia, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, requested all politicians to respect the court’s verdict.
Najib’s convictions and additional sentences indeed send a strong message that once-powerful leaders are not untouchable, after all. They could be held responsible for the abuses they commit while in power.
Then again, this is not a message that is new to us Filipinos. Several former officials in high places have indeed been arrested and tried for, and convicted of various crimes in the past. Much fanfare and media attention surrounded these developments. Over time, however, the cases – or the public’s attention on them – fizzled. Some were even able to go back to the halls of power, bearing witness to the idea that crime does pay.
These days, in light of the widespread and still-raging infrastructure scandal gripping the nation, we grapple with our frustration at not being able to see big fish behind bars before the holidays, as we were promised. Some arrests have been made, but they are mid-level government employees or those from private contractors. With just two days remaining in 2025, we are not too optimistic.
People clamor for big names because it is they who have a bigger responsibility to act as stewards of public funds and champions of public interest. They owe their positions to people who voted for them. They draw their salaries from the taxes we pay.
Then again, we should also know by now that jailing the guilty is just an aspect of the grand and daunting fight against corruption. It is equally important to introduce reforms to the system so that the things that enabled and emboldened the corrupt would no longer exist. Citizens’ participatory role, especially in this tech-powered era, is also crucial.
As we deal with this monstrosity that is grand-scale corruption, may the steps we take be for the sole sake of fighting this menace that eats away at our resources and erodes our trust in our democracy. The fight, or its rightful results, should never be subject to political winds, such that whoever is established guilty now will have no recourse but to suffer the consequences of one’s deeds – and not simply wait for a friendlier system in the next political cycle.
