The unprecedented court appearance came the day after the 64-year-old was arrested at his luxury home by officers probing how billions of dollars of state funds disappeared on his watch.

In court, the former leader appeared tired and hung his head often during proceedings.

Allegations of massive corruption were a major factor behind the electoral earthquake in May that toppled Najib’s long-ruling coalition and ushered in a reformist alliance headed by his 92-year-old former mentor Mahathir Mohamad.

Wednesday’s court hearing was the latest step in a fast-moving investigation into alleged wrongdoing by Najib, his family and many of his close political and business allies.

Where will it end? Najib’s 1MDB chickens come home to roost

After the judge decided on a one million ringgit bond (($250,000) and ordered him to surrender his two passports, the ex-leader emerged from the building to chants of “Long live Najib” by around 500 supporters.

“This is the best way to clear my name after so much of slander against me,” Najib told reporters.

He later left in a convoy of five cars escorted by police outriders.

Attorney general Tommy Thomas, who leads a 12-member prosecution team, had requested bail of four million ringgit in cash, but Najib’s lawyer Muhammad Shafee Abdullah insisted his client was “not a flight risk”.

Najib and his wife have been barred from leaving the country since May 12.

The court set a tentative date for the trial, beginning in February 2019.

“We have a strong prima facie case which we intend to prove in the trial,” Thomas told reporters after the hearing.

Najib’s lawyer countered: “I’m happy we have a good defence. You’ll see the unfolding of the defence when the trial starts.”

Thomas had to move the venue of his press briefing to a different part of the building after Najib supporters heckled him and demanded that he speak in Malay, the national language.

Malaysia’s Najib Razak faces ‘20 years in jail’ as court date arrives

According to an investigation by The Wall Street Journal, US$10.6 million originating from SRC International Sdn Bhd, an energy company that was originally a subsidiary of 1MDB, was transferred to Najib’s personal bank accounts, a fraction of hundreds of millions of dollars from 1MDB that was allegedly funnelled to him.

Najib and the fund deny any wrongdoing.

In a recorded video posted on social media hours after his arrest, Najib apologised to Malaysians but remained defiant.

“My dear Malaysians, if you are listening to this message, it means that actions have been taken against me,” Najib said.

“There has been a lot of fake news and images spread, many of them false, convoluted and slanderous. Let investigations be conducted first, I have not had the chance to defend myself.

“I am not perfect, I am only human. However, please believe that these accusations levelled against me and my family are not all true. I have tried my very best but I realise that it isn’t enough.”

The son of Malaysia’s second prime minister, Najib and his allies are accused of plundering billions of dollars from the 1MDB to buy everything from US real estate to artworks.

The US Justice Department, which is seeking to recover items allegedly bought with stolen 1MDB cash in America, estimates that US$4.5 billion in total was looted from 1MDB.

Singapore and Switzerland had also launched investigations into allegations their financial systems were used to launder 1MDB funds.

Shortly after his downfall, a treasure trove of valuables was seized in raids on properties linked to Najib and his family - including cash, jewellery and luxury handbags - worth up to US$273 million.

Additional reporting by Associated Press and Bloomberg