Malaysia’s Najib Razak handed additional 15-year jail term in 1MDB corruption case
KUALA LUMPUR — Malaysia’s High Court has sentenced former prime minister Najib Razak to an additional 15 years in prison over his role in the multibillion-ringgit 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) corruption scandal, deepening the legal fallout from one of the world’s largest financial crimes.
In a ruling delivered on December 26, 2025, Justice Collin Lawrence Sequerah found the 72-year-old guilty on four counts of abuse of power and 21 counts of money laundering, involving about RM2.3 billion (US$568 million) misappropriated from the state fund. The trial spanned more than seven years and over 300 hearing days.
The court imposed 15 years’ imprisonment for each abuse of power charge and five years for each money laundering offence, with all sentences to run concurrently. The ruling effectively adds 15 years to Najib’s existing jail term, which will begin after his current sentence ends.
Najib is presently serving a six-year sentence—reduced from 12 years following a partial royal pardon in 2024—stemming from a separate SRC International case. That term is due to expire in 2028.
The High Court also imposed a RM11.4 billion (US$2.8 billion) fine, calculated as five times the benefits linked to the abuse of power charges. Failure to pay could result in additional imprisonment. The judge further ordered the forfeiture of RM2.08 billion in assets connected to the laundered funds.
Rejection of defence claims
Najib denied all wrongdoing, maintaining that the money found in his personal AmBank accounts was a legitimate donation from the late Saudi King Abdullah, and that he had been misled by advisers, including fugitive financier Low Taek Jho, or Jho Low.
Justice Sequerah firmly rejected the defence, saying the so-called “Arab donation” claim was unsupported and relied on forged documents. The judge ruled that Najib could not plausibly claim ignorance, given his roles as prime minister, finance minister, and chairman of 1MDB’s advisory board, which placed him at the centre of key decisions.
The court cited evidence from more than 76 witnesses, including bankers and former 1MDB officials, and pointed to a close working relationship between Najib and Jho Low. Allegations that the case was politically motivated were dismissed as inconsistent with the evidence.
A scandal that shook Malaysia
Najib established 1MDB in 2009 to drive national development, but investigations later found that at least US$4.5 billion was siphoned off between 2009 and 2014 through complex offshore structures. The funds were used for luxury assets, political spending, and even Hollywood productions such as The Wolf of Wall Street.
Jho Low has been identified by prosecutors as a central figure in the scheme but remains at large.
Political and legal fallout
The 1MDB scandal played a decisive role in the 2018 general election, which ended the six-decade rule of Najib’s Barisan Nasional coalition. Despite being imprisoned, Najib retains support within UMNO, now part of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s unity government. Supporters gathered outside the court on the day of the verdict.
Najib has indicated he will appeal, describing the case as a fight for justice and the rule of law.
The scandal has had global repercussions, with Goldman Sachs and other institutions paying billions in settlements, and authorities in the United States and elsewhere seizing assets linked to the case.
While further appeals are expected, the High Court’s decision marks another major milestone in a case that continues to shape Malaysia’s politics and anti-corruption drive.
