https://www.scmp.com/rss/320113/feed 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) is a state investment fund that came under investigation for alleged impropriety in July 2015, after reports emerged that investigators traced some US$700 million wired into Prime Minister Najib’s bank accounts. Both the fund and the premier denied wrongdoing, but the attorney general launched an investigation into alleged graft. 1MDB was 42 billion ringgit (HK$86 billion) in debt at the time of the scandal. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Reuters Reuters A Malaysian court on Tuesday ⁠ordered jailed former ⁠prime minister Najib Razak ⁠to pay US$1.3 billion to a former unit of scandal-tainted state fund 1MDB, state media reported. The Kuala Lumpur High Court ruled that Najib was liable for losses incurred by ‌SRC International, a former subsidiary of sovereign wealth fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad, state news agency Bernama reported. High Court judge Ahmad Fairuz Zainol Abidin ruled that Najib breached his fiduciary duties, abused his position... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3348554/malaysia-court-orders-ex-pm-najib-pay-us13-billion-1mdb-unit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3348554/malaysia-court-orders-ex-pm-najib-pay-us13-billion-1mdb-unit?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 31 Mar 2026 10:20:34 +0000 Iman Muttaqin Yusof Iman Muttaqin Yusof Malaysia’s anti-corruption investigation into a flagship chip-design deal with Britain’s Arm Holdings took a more combustible turn on Thursday after a former government aide declared: “I am not Jho Low 2.0.” The remark – invoking the fugitive financier at the centre of Malaysia’s 1MDB scandal – came as the country’s anti-corruption agency pushed back against his claims, while allies of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim warned the investigation risked appearing heavy-handed. The dispute has dragged... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3345514/malaysias-arm-chip-deal-probe-turns-political-ex-aide-says-i-am-not-jho-low-20?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3345514/malaysias-arm-chip-deal-probe-turns-political-ex-aide-says-i-am-not-jho-low-20?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 Mar 2026 04:34:15 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg Malaysia’s anti-corruption chief Azam Baki was summoned by a special committee set up to probe his stock ownership to explain the matter on Thursday, as authorities respond to calls for him to be investigated. The committee is examining the compliance and regularity of Azam’s share ownership based on the initial report it received, Shamsul Azri Abu Bakar, chief secretary to the government, said in a statement on Sunday. It is still in the process of evaluating all evidence obtained and will call... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3344265/malaysia-summons-anti-corruption-chief-stock-ownership-probe?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3344265/malaysia-summons-anti-corruption-chief-stock-ownership-probe?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 22 Feb 2026 11:18:01 +0000 The Star The Star The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has filed a court order to forfeit overseas assets belonging to Prince Turki Abdullah Al Saud. The application to forfeit assets was filed under Sections 56(1), 59 and 61(2) of the Anti-Money-Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act. Around US$115.3 million held in several Swiss bank accounts is subject to the forfeiture order, including funds in JP Morgan (Suisse) and UBS Switzerland. MACC chief commissioner... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3343621/malaysia-seeks-seize-saudi-princes-overseas-assets-worth-us115-million?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3343621/malaysia-seeks-seize-saudi-princes-overseas-assets-worth-us115-million?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 15 Feb 2026 07:44:20 +0000 Iman Muttaqin Yusof Iman Muttaqin Yusof The sultan of Pahang in Malaysia has urged the public to view royal pardons with “calmness of emotion” and not as “a political gift”, in what analysts describe as a pointed reminder that clemency is a constitutional process, amid a furore over a decree supposedly extended to ex-prime minister Najib Razak. According to Najib, the supplementary royal decree, or “addendum”, would allow him to serve the remainder of his reduced prison sentence at home. The Kuala Lumpur High Court dismissed his bid... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3342205/najibs-house-arrest-row-malaysian-sultans-comment-royal-pardons-stirs-debate?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3342205/najibs-house-arrest-row-malaysian-sultans-comment-royal-pardons-stirs-debate?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 Feb 2026 06:54:30 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg Tim Leissner, the former Goldman Sachs banker who admitted his role in one of the largest financial frauds in history, is seeking a presidential pardon before he surrenders to a federal prison in the US. Leissner filed his pardon application to the US Justice Department last year, according to a notice on the DOJ website. It was submitted between September 3 and November 18, according to archived copies posted on lawyeroyer.com. Leissner, Goldman’s former Southeast Asia chairman, pleaded guilty... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3340921/1mdb-convict-and-ex-goldman-banker-tim-leissner-seeks-pardon-trump?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3340921/1mdb-convict-and-ex-goldman-banker-tim-leissner-seeks-pardon-trump?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 23 Jan 2026 02:04:22 +0000 Joseph Sipalan Joseph Sipalan The president of Malaysia’s Umno has denied abandoning disgraced ex-prime minister Najib Razak to save himself, as fissures emerge in the former ruling party over the mixed legal fortunes of two of its top leaders. Umno grass-roots members have urged President Ahmad Zahid Hamidi to quit Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s government in protest after the High Court blocked Najib’s bid to serve the remainder of his jail term under house arrest last month. It also handed the one-time party figurehead a... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3340180/malaysias-umno-chief-denies-he-sidelined-najib-secure-his-own-legal-freedom?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3340180/malaysias-umno-chief-denies-he-sidelined-najib-secure-his-own-legal-freedom?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 16 Jan 2026 10:07:42 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg The United Malays National Organisation (Umno), which for decades dominated Malaysian politics and remains a key member of the ruling coalition, is set to renew a push for the release of jailed former prime minister Najib Razak next week, even as it steps back from threats to quit the government. Resolutions pushing for a full pardon and demanding justice for Najib were the “hottest topic” submitted by the party’s 191 divisions ahead of its annual assembly, Secretary General Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3339387/malaysias-umno-seeks-najibs-pardon-amid-1mdb-scandal-while-staying-pm-anwars-coalition?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3339387/malaysias-umno-seeks-najibs-pardon-amid-1mdb-scandal-while-staying-pm-anwars-coalition?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 09 Jan 2026 12:23:47 +0000 Reuters Reuters Malaysian prosecutors said on Thursday that they have put an end to their ‌corruption case against Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, saying that ‍there was insufficient evidence to continue. The move by the Attorney General’s Chambers (AGC) came more than two years after corruption charges against Ahmad Zahid, the leader of a ⁠key partner in Malaysia’s ruling coalition, were dropped to allow prosecutors to conduct further investigations. The Kuala Lumpur High Court in September 2023... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3339209/malaysia-ends-corruption-case-against-pm-anwars-deputy-ahmad-zahid-over-lack-evidence?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3339209/malaysia-ends-corruption-case-against-pm-anwars-deputy-ahmad-zahid-over-lack-evidence?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 08 Jan 2026 11:18:34 +0000 Reuters Reuters Jailed former Malaysian prime minister Najib Razak has filed an appeal against his conviction last week on ‌corruption charges related to the multibillion-dollar 1MDB scandal, which saw him ‍sentenced to an additional 15 years in prison, his lawyer said on Tuesday. Najib, 72, has been in jail since 2022 on corruption offences linked to allegations that about US$4.5 billion was stolen from 1Malaysia ⁠Development Berhad (1MDB), a state fund he co-founded while serving as prime minister in 2009. US... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3338114/malaysias-najib-razak-challenges-15-year-jail-term-1mdb-case?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3338114/malaysias-najib-razak-challenges-15-year-jail-term-1mdb-case?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 30 Dec 2025 05:11:48 +0000 Iman Muttaqin Yusof Iman Muttaqin Yusof The fresh prison sentence handed to disgraced former Malaysian prime minister Najib Razak has sharpened tensions inside Umno, with analysts warning the legal blow to the party’s former figurehead could fuel calls for a withdrawal from the coalition led by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim. On Friday, a Malaysian court sentenced Najib, 72, to a further 15 years in prison after finding him guilty on all 25 charges of abuse of power and money laundering linked to the siphoning of 2.3 billion ringgit... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3338012/najibs-new-1mdb-verdict-deepens-umno-rifts-testing-malaysias-unity-government?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3338012/najibs-new-1mdb-verdict-deepens-umno-rifts-testing-malaysias-unity-government?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 29 Dec 2025 08:05:03 +0000 Iman Muttaqin Yusof Iman Muttaqin Yusof A Malaysian court on Friday sentenced jailed former prime minister Najib Razak to a further 15 years in prison after convicting him on all 25 charges linked to the plundering of billions of dollars from the scandal-tainted state fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB). The High Court found Najib, 72, guilty of four counts of abuse of power and 21 counts of money laundering, after taking account of his “direct role” in the siphoning of 2.3 billion ringgit (US$568 million) from the troubled... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3337795/malaysias-najib-found-guilty-abuse-power-charge-final-1mdb-case?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3337795/malaysias-najib-found-guilty-abuse-power-charge-final-1mdb-case?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 26 Dec 2025 07:38:36 +0000 Iman Muttaqin Yusof Iman Muttaqin Yusof Malaysia’s High Court is poised on Friday to deliver its verdict in the final criminal trial of jailed former prime minister Najib Razak, bringing to a close one of Southeast Asia’s most far-reaching corruption sagas. The case centres on allegations that the disgraced 72-year-old misappropriated 2.3 billion ringgit (US$490 million) from the scandal-ridden Malaysian sovereign wealth fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB). Najib is currently in Kajang Prison, over halfway through a sentence... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3337730/1mdb-verdict-due-will-malaysias-najib-have-prepare-worst?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3337730/1mdb-verdict-due-will-malaysias-najib-have-prepare-worst?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 25 Dec 2025 11:12:09 +0000 Iman Muttaqin Yusof Iman Muttaqin Yusof The children of ex-Malaysian prime minister Najib Razak have been yearning for their father to leave prison and the family to spend the New Year together. But their hopes were dashed this week after a court ruled against Najib’s application to return home under house arrest. In a five-minute video posted online shortly after the decision on Monday, Najib’s eldest son, Mohd Nizar Najib, said the family had gone to court prepared for both outcomes, but had quietly believed the long fight – based... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3337628/najibs-children-lament-malaysian-court-ruling-we-thought-he-was-coming-home?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3337628/najibs-children-lament-malaysian-court-ruling-we-thought-he-was-coming-home?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 24 Dec 2025 08:57:18 +0000 Iman Muttaqin Yusof Iman Muttaqin Yusof A court’s decision to keep former Malaysian leader Najib Razak behind bars has reopened fault lines between Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s ruling coalition and Umno, the country’s once-dominant ruling party. The Kuala Lumpur High Court on Monday rejected Najib’s application to serve the remainder of his prison sentence under house arrest, ruling that a purported addendum to a royal clemency order “had no legal effect because it was never deliberated by the Pardons Board”. The decision meant the... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3337482/why-malaysian-court-ruling-against-najib-dividing-anwars-coalition?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3337482/why-malaysian-court-ruling-against-najib-dividing-anwars-coalition?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 23 Dec 2025 08:46:32 +0000 Iman Muttaqin Yusof,Joseph Sipalan Iman Muttaqin Yusof,Joseph Sipalan A Malaysian court on Monday dismissed former prime minister Najib Razak’s bid to serve the remainder of his prison sentence under house arrest, dealing a setback to his attempt to secure early release from jail. Najib, 72, is serving a reduced six-year sentence after receiving partial royal clemency earlier this year in the SRC International case, a former subsidiary linked to the scandal-ridden Malaysian sovereign wealth fund 1MDB, in which he was convicted of abuse of power, criminal breach of... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3337258/malaysias-najib-razak-be-released-jail-house-arrest?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3337258/malaysias-najib-razak-be-released-jail-house-arrest?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 22 Dec 2025 02:11:54 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg Malaysia is set to receive 12 pieces of fine art – including works by Pablo Picasso, Joan Miro and Henri Matisse – after discussions with US officials to repatriate assets tied to the global corruption scandal at 1MDB. The works are being held by Christie’s and Sotheby’s auction houses in the United States and estimated to have a combined value of over US$30 million, the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) said in a statement on Saturday. They were purchased by Jasmine Loo, a former... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3336454/malaysia-get-back-us30-million-worth-fine-art-linked-1mdb-scandal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3336454/malaysia-get-back-us30-million-worth-fine-art-linked-1mdb-scandal?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 15 Dec 2025 06:33:51 +0000 Reuters Reuters Malaysian prosecutors have dropped their appeal against the acquittal of Rosmah Mansor, the wife of jailed former prime minister Najib Razak, in a case involving money laundering and tax evasion, saying they saw no prospect of success. Since 2018, the couple have been subject to multiple corruption investigations surrounding Najib’s alleged role in the multibillion-dollar 1MDB scandal. Both have repeatedly denied all wrongdoing. Rosmah, widely scorned in Malaysia for her extravagant lifestyle... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3336183/najibs-wife-cleared-malaysia-drops-money-laundering-tax-evasion-appeal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3336183/najibs-wife-cleared-malaysia-drops-money-laundering-tax-evasion-appeal?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 12 Dec 2025 05:56:10 +0000 The Star The Star The sister of fugitive Malaysian financier Low Taek Jho, whose whereabouts are still unknown, and a close associate were ordered by the Kuala Lumpur High Court to pay 11.58 billion ringgit (US$2.8 billion) to 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB), over “tainted proceeds” misappropriated from the state fund. Justice Mahazan Mat Taib granted the judgment in default (JID) against Low May Lin, the sister of Low – better known as Jho Low – and Eric Tan, after the court found that 1MDB had decisively... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3334087/malaysia-court-orders-jho-lows-sister-and-associate-pay-us28-billion-1mdb?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3334087/malaysia-court-orders-jho-lows-sister-and-associate-pay-us28-billion-1mdb?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 25 Nov 2025 09:29:24 +0000 Reuters Reuters A Singapore court has cleared the way for a US$2.7 billion lawsuit against Standard Chartered Bank over its alleged role in 1MDB fraud, liquidators seeking to recover the funds said on Monday. Singapore High Court dismissed an application by the bank to strike out a suit filed against it by liquidators, the liquidators said in a press release, calling it “a significant legal victory” allowing the case to continue. Liquidators trying to recover money from Malaysia’s sovereign wealth fund 1MDB... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3333965/singapore-court-approves-us27-billion-1mdb-suit-against-standard-chartered?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3333965/singapore-court-approves-us27-billion-1mdb-suit-against-standard-chartered?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 24 Nov 2025 10:36:53 +0000 The Star The Star The Malaysian High Court has dismissed an appeal by former prime minister Najib Razak and his son, Mohd Nazifuddin Najib, to stay bankruptcy proceedings against them. The bankruptcy proceedings were initiated by the Inland Revenue Board following Najib and Nazifuddin’s failure to settle tax arrears amounting to 1.69 billion ringgit (US$407 million) and 37.6 million ringgit, respectively. Judicial Commissioner Suhendran Sockanathan alias Saheran Abdullah made the dismissal after finding that... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3333043/malaysias-najib-son-face-bankruptcy-ordered-pay-over-us407-million-taxes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3333043/malaysias-najib-son-face-bankruptcy-ordered-pay-over-us407-million-taxes?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 17 Nov 2025 04:23:47 +0000 Reuters Reuters Singapore’s High Court has dismissed a bid by foreign liquidators to sue Standard Chartered Bank and BSI Bank in the city state over transactions alleged to be linked to the scandal-hit Malaysian sovereign wealth fund 1MDB, according to a judgment on Wednesday. Representatives of the liquidators did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Standard Chartered said the bank welcomed the court’s decision. Liquidators began legal proceedings against the London-headquartered bank in... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3327481/singapore-court-rejects-us27-billion-1mdb-linked-suit-against-standard-chartered-bsi?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3327481/singapore-court-rejects-us27-billion-1mdb-linked-suit-against-standard-chartered-bsi?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Oct 2025 05:54:11 +0000 Joseph Sipalan Joseph Sipalan For decades, London’s property market has offered sanctuary to fortunes of murky origins, its red-brick mansions and gleaming office blocks standing as monuments to global impunity. Now, as anti-corruption watchdogs from Malaysia to Bangladesh demand justice, Britain is once again forced to reckon with its role as the world’s premier laundromat for kleptocrats. Malaysia’s investigators revealed earlier this month that they were investigating the alleged London-based assets of former prime... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3326142/malaysia-bangladesh-asias-dirty-money-finds-home-uk-property?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3326142/malaysia-bangladesh-asias-dirty-money-finds-home-uk-property?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 22 Sep 2025 00:00:12 +0000 Reuters Reuters JPMorgan Chase will pay the Malaysian government US$330 million as part of a settlement to resolve all matters related to its role in the multibillion-dollar scandal at state fund 1MDB, both parties said on Friday. Malaysian and US investigators say at least US$4.5 billion was stolen from 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) in a globe-spanning scheme between 2009 and 2014. In 2021, 1MDB sued a unit of JPMorgan, along with those of Deutsche Bank and Coutts & Co, to recover alleged losses from the... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3322861/jpmorgan-settles-1mdb-scandal-malaysia-us330-million?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3322861/jpmorgan-settles-1mdb-scandal-malaysia-us330-million?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 22 Aug 2025 12:00:14 +0000 Joseph Sipalan,Hadi Azmi Joseph Sipalan,Hadi Azmi Malaysian children as young as four will be given comics on the evils of corruption, as the country’s anti-corruption commission turns to live-streamed court cases, films of scandals and other media outreach to expunge a scourge that is rooted deep in the nation’s society and politics. Corruption dogs the reputation of the Southeast Asian nation, which has seen a succession of former prime ministers implicated in the theft of public funds running into billions of dollars. Perhaps the most... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3322745/malaysias-new-anti-corruption-drive-takes-comic-turn-battle-young-minds?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3322745/malaysias-new-anti-corruption-drive-takes-comic-turn-battle-young-minds?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 22 Aug 2025 03:59:04 +0000 Joseph Sipalan Joseph Sipalan Malaysia’s highest court on Wednesday threw disgraced former prime minister Najib Razak a lifeline in his bid to trade prison for house arrest for his role in the 1MDB corruption scandal. The Federal Court dismissed a government bid to block Najib from seeking access to a purported royal order that he claims would permit him to serve the remainder of his six-year sentence at home rather than in Kajang prison, where he has been held since August 2022. Najib, 72, was convicted in 2020 of criminal... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3321672/malaysias-najib-gets-legal-lifeline-house-arrest-bid-over-1mdb-sentence?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3321672/malaysias-najib-gets-legal-lifeline-house-arrest-bid-over-1mdb-sentence?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 13 Aug 2025 05:01:12 +0000 The Star The Star There is no “credible proof” supporting a report that fugitive financier Low Taek Jho, also known as Jho Low, is in China or using an Australian passport, according to Malaysia’s Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail. He stated that the report about Low’s location and the passport he allegedly used was not backed by credible evidence or facts. “The home ministry, through the police, is cooperating closely and continuously with our foreign counterparts and international authorities to track... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3319394/malaysia-says-no-credible-proof-jho-low-living-china-fake-passport?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3319394/malaysia-says-no-credible-proof-jho-low-living-china-fake-passport?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Jul 2025 06:46:06 +0000 The Star The Star Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said on Saturday that Malaysia had not received any information regarding allegations that fugitive businessman Low Taek Jho, commonly referred to as Jho Low, was living in China. Anwar mentioned that he was planning to investigate the situation involving the central figure of the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) financial scandal in collaboration with Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail. “I have no information; we have yet to receive anything. Let me check.... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3318867/malaysia-pm-anwar-verify-reports-1mdb-mastermind-jho-low-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3318867/malaysia-pm-anwar-verify-reports-1mdb-mastermind-jho-low-china?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 19 Jul 2025 13:03:11 +0000 Hadi Azmi Hadi Azmi The bankruptcy of high-profile fashion designer Jovian Mandagie, the former son-in-law of Malaysia’s ex-prime minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob, has brought renewed attention to the growing scandals surrounding the former leader’s family. Jovian, once a household name in Malaysian and Indonesian fashion circles, was declared bankrupt by the Kuala Lumpur High Court on Thursday for failing to repay a US$1.25 million loan to an engineering firm. The court ruling comes amid ongoing investigations by... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3317023/ex-malaysian-pm-ismail-sabris-family-hit-scandal-former-son-law-declared-bankrupt?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3317023/ex-malaysian-pm-ismail-sabris-family-hit-scandal-former-son-law-declared-bankrupt?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 04 Jul 2025 12:29:45 +0000 Reuters Reuters Liquidators for Malaysia’s sovereign wealth fund 1MDB have sued Standard Chartered Bank in Singapore, alleging it enabled fraud that led to more than US$2.7 billion in financial losses more than 10 years ago. Standard Chartered, the UK-headquartered bank in Singapore, on Tuesday said that it emphatically rejected the claims. The move is the latest in a wide-ranging effort to recover money belonging to 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), from which US investigators say about US$4.5 billion was... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3316517/malaysian-liquidators-sue-standard-chartered-singapore-alleging-its-role-1mdb-fraud?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3316517/malaysian-liquidators-sue-standard-chartered-singapore-alleging-its-role-1mdb-fraud?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 01 Jul 2025 09:41:10 +0000 Hadi Azmi Hadi Azmi A judge on Friday discharged disgraced former Malaysian prime minister Najib Razak from a US$6.3 million money laundering case after ruling that the prosecution had failed to provide relevant documents to the defence. The ruling marks the second time a case involving Najib has been dismissed due to prosecutorial inaction, raising fresh questions about the conduct and priorities of the Attorney General’s Chambers (AGC). Najib, who led the country for nine years until his defeat in the 2018... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3315182/malaysias-najib-discharged-over-us63-million-money-laundering-case?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3315182/malaysias-najib-discharged-over-us63-million-money-laundering-case?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Jun 2025 06:13:41 +0000 Hadi Azmi,Joseph Sipalan Hadi Azmi,Joseph Sipalan Chinese and Malaysian police have seized over 3.8 billion ringgit (US$900 million) of assets – including yachts and property – from a syndicate alleged to have duped millions of people throughout the Asia-Pacific with promises of high-return investments. The Ponzi scheme, which operated mainly in Penang state, is believed to be linked to the MBI Group, started by Malaysian Tedy Teow Wooi Huat, who was extradited to China last year after hiding in Thailand. Seventeen people were arrested last... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3314016/us900-million-seized-china-helps-malaysia-dismantle-tedy-teows-scam-empire?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3314016/us900-million-seized-china-helps-malaysia-dismantle-tedy-teows-scam-empire?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Jun 2025 09:28:07 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg Former Goldman Sachs banker Tim Leissner, who pleaded guilty to helping loot the Malaysian investment fund 1MDB, was sentenced to two years in prison over his role in the massive fraud. US District Judge Margo Brodie in Brooklyn, New York, sentenced him at a hearing Thursday. Leissner had asked not to go to prison, arguing that his cooperation had resulted in the conviction of a former colleague and billions of dollars in global fines against Goldman. Leissner, 53, had faced as long as 25 years... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3312360/ex-goldman-banker-tim-leissner-gets-2-years-1mdb-fraud-case?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3312360/ex-goldman-banker-tim-leissner-gets-2-years-1mdb-fraud-case?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 29 May 2025 18:01:53 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim defended an extension of the anti-corruption agency head’s tenure, saying Azam Baki has been brave in going after powerful figures allegedly embroiled in corruption and abuse of power. Azam’s term as chief commissioner of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) was lengthened by a year starting May 13, the third extension since he turned 60 years old. He is also the first head of the agency to have his employment prolonged beyond the mandatory... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3311646/malaysias-anwar-defends-extending-brave-anti-corruption-chiefs-term?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3311646/malaysias-anwar-defends-extending-brave-anti-corruption-chiefs-term?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 24 May 2025 03:41:35 +0000 Joseph Sipalan Joseph Sipalan Malaysia’s anti-corruption agency is pushing for sweeping new powers to strike deals with suspects and recover illicit funds before they can vanish overseas – a move officials say could help plug billions of dollars lost to money laundering and organised crime. Criminal syndicates are increasingly using Malaysia to launder money, authorities warn, while the country is also a key transshipment hub for drugs, illegal cigarettes, protected wildlife and other contraband. The Malaysian... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3308658/malaysias-anti-corruption-agency-proposes-powers-claw-back-billions-illicit-funds?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3308658/malaysias-anti-corruption-agency-proposes-powers-claw-back-billions-illicit-funds?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 01 May 2025 06:33:18 +0000 Hadi Azmi Hadi Azmi Jho Low, the flamboyant financier behind one of the world’s largest financial scandals, vanished years ago, leaving behind a trail of opulence, deceit and unanswered questions. But two journalists are determined to bring his shadowy story back into the light – with a satirical website, a memecoin and some blockchain bounties. Low, accused of orchestrating Malaysia’s multibillion-dollar 1MDB scandal, once partied with Hollywood elites and brokered billion-dollar deals, but has since become a... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3304351/chasing-jho-low-blockchain-bounty-breathes-new-life-hunt-malaysias-1mdb-fugitive?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3304351/chasing-jho-low-blockchain-bounty-breathes-new-life-hunt-malaysias-1mdb-fugitive?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 30 Mar 2025 02:00:19 +0000 Malaysia’s Democratic Action Party (DAP), the largest party in government, has sidelined one of its key figures, pugnacious grandee Lim Guan Eng – leaving experts to warn that it risks losing ground with its base of Chinese and Indian minorities as it cosies up to a bitter political enemy from the Malay majority. The DAP, long seen as the bridgehead into power for Indian and Chinese minorities, elected Anthony Loke for a second term as secretary general on Sunday. The vote was taken to be an... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3302839/malaysias-dap-sidelines-lim-guan-eng-move-risks-alienating-minority-base?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3302839/malaysias-dap-sidelines-lim-guan-eng-move-risks-alienating-minority-base?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 18 Mar 2025 08:50:52 +0000 Seventy per cent of the US$10 billion stolen from Malaysia in the 1MDB corruption scandal has been recovered by Malaysia, the country’s anti-corruption agency announced on Monday, following the return of US$3.2 million in assets from associates of Jho Low, the scheme’s larger-than-life alleged mastermind. Nearly seven years after the scandal unravelled with Low’s co-conspirator and former Prime Minister Najib Razak losing in the 2018 election, Malaysia is still seeking to recover its stolen... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3302822/why-malaysias-1mdb-scandal-still-casting-long-shadow-over-its-economy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3302822/why-malaysias-1mdb-scandal-still-casting-long-shadow-over-its-economy?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 18 Mar 2025 07:44:33 +0000 Former Malaysian prime minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob met anti-graft officials on Thursday, after multiple delays in a multimillion-dollar corruption investigation that has outraged residents worn down by the cascade of such allegations involving senior politicians. Ismail Sabri is the latest former leader to be hauled up by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), which has gone after prominent politicians and tycoons since Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim came to power in 2022. The country’s... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3302195/former-malaysian-pm-ismail-sabri-finally-meets-anti-corruption-officials?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3302195/former-malaysian-pm-ismail-sabri-finally-meets-anti-corruption-officials?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 13 Mar 2025 05:52:37 +0000 Shock reverberated around Malaysia when news broke earlier this week that former prime minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob was named a suspect in a corruption investigation linked to 170 million ringgit (US$38.6 million) in cash, gold and other items seized at alleged safe houses run by his senior aides. The uproar came not so much from Ismail Sabri being named a suspect, but the sheer amount of cash found along with 16 gold bars and luxury Hublot watches. The fact that Ismail Sabri was named a suspect... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3301330/malaysias-corruption-carousel-here-we-go-again-ismail-sabri-third-ex-pm-implicated?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3301330/malaysias-corruption-carousel-here-we-go-again-ismail-sabri-third-ex-pm-implicated?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 07 Mar 2025 01:30:17 +0000 Stacks of cash, gold bars, Hublot watches, and another former prime minister in the crosshairs of an anti-corruption investigation – it is Groundhog Day for many Malaysians in a country where politics often comes with a price tag. On Monday, the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) named Ismail Sabri Yaakob as a suspect in a corruption case which has also implicated four of his lieutenants after nearly US$38 million worth of euros, yen and dollars were found stacked in plastic-wrapped... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3300993/malaysians-appalled-another-corruption-probe-involving-ex-prime-minister?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3300993/malaysians-appalled-another-corruption-probe-involving-ex-prime-minister?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 04 Mar 2025 09:30:10 +0000 Joseph Sipalan Joseph Sipalan Jailed for corruption linked to state firm 1MDB, former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak is determined to be freed from prison and transferred to house arrest. To do so, he must first prove the existence of a “supplementary decree” that he claims was issued by the former king, allowing him to serve the remainder of his sentence in the comfort of his own home. The problem is that nobody seems to know if the decree actually exists—and if they do, they are being extremely cautious about... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/explained/article/3295062/what-know-about-najibs-house-arrest-bid-malaysia-and-existence-royal-decree?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/explained/article/3295062/what-know-about-najibs-house-arrest-bid-malaysia-and-existence-royal-decree?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 Jan 2025 11:00:26 +0000 Malaysia on Monday was seeking to prevent public discourse on jailed former prime minister Najib Razak’s bid for house arrest, a week after his court victory led to political unease. The gag order application, which was expected to be filed on January 20, also sought to prohibit the Malaysian parliament from discussing Najib’s attempt to serve the rest of his prison sentence at his own residence. Last week, the former prime minister, who has been in jail since 2022 for crimes related to the 1MDB... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3294536/malaysia-seeks-gag-order-jailed-pm-najib-razaks-house-arrest-bid?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3294536/malaysia-seeks-gag-order-jailed-pm-najib-razaks-house-arrest-bid?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 13 Jan 2025 09:35:08 +0000 Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has said the government did not conceal any document related to jailed former leader Najib Razak’s home detention, state media reported. Najib, imprisoned for his role in the country’s 1MDB scandal, has been pursuing a legal bid to compel the government to confirm the existence of and execute an “addendum order” that he said was issued by the former king alongside a pardon he received last year, entitling him to serve the remainder of his jail term at... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3294415/malaysia-pm-denies-hiding-document-ex-premier-najibs-home-detention?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3294415/malaysia-pm-denies-hiding-document-ex-premier-najibs-home-detention?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 12 Jan 2025 05:43:51 +0000 Malaysia’s law ministry said on Friday it has no record of any documents authorising house arrest for jailed former Prime Minister Najib Razak, as the disgraced former leader pushes to serve the remainder of his sentence at home. Najib, imprisoned for his role in a multibillion-dollar fraud at state fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad, had his 12-year sentence halved last year by then-King Al-Sultan Abdullah Ahmad Shah, who was chair of a special pardons board. Najib and the ex-king’s palace say... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3294272/malaysia-says-it-has-no-record-documents-granting-ex-pm-najib-home-detention?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3294272/malaysia-says-it-has-no-record-documents-granting-ex-pm-najib-home-detention?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Jan 2025 09:43:03 +0000 The new year has brought old troubles for Malaysia’s Anwar Ibrahim, as public anger and accusations of treason by the opposition are aimed at the government over the potential for the release of disgraced former leader Najib Razak into house arrest. Najib, jailed in 2022 for corruption linked to a former unit of scandal-tainted state fund 1MDB, was on Monday granted a bid to seek a court order to force the government to confirm the existence of – and implement – a supplementary decree allowing... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3293902/malaysias-anwar-risks-political-peril-najibs-house-arrest-saga-drags?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3293902/malaysias-anwar-risks-political-peril-najibs-house-arrest-saga-drags?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Jan 2025 09:30:18 +0000 Malaysia’s Court of Appeal on Monday granted jailed former prime minister Najib Razak the opportunity to move forward with his claim regarding a special order he says allows him to serve the remaining three-and-a-half years of his 1MDB-linked prison sentence under house arrest. In a split 2-1 decision, the court overturned a previous High Court ruling that had rejected Najib’s request to review his sentence related to the case. Najib, 71, has lobbied hard for his release from jail, backed by a... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3293544/malaysia-awaits-court-verdict-najibs-house-arrest-bid-1mdb-case?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3293544/malaysia-awaits-court-verdict-najibs-house-arrest-bid-1mdb-case?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 06 Jan 2025 03:43:04 +0000 A looming rally to support Malaysia’s jailed former prime minister Najib Razak has reignited simmering political tensions, prompting Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim to urge citizens to heed a stern reminder from the palace that pardon power lies solely with the king. Najib, 71, has taken the Malaysian government to court, accusing it of hiding a decree by Sultan Abdullah, Malaysia’s former king, granting him the right to serve the remainder of his prison sentence for corruption linked to the 1MDB... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3293356/pro-najib-rally-reignites-tensions-malaysia-pm-anwar-urges-respect-royal-order?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3293356/pro-najib-rally-reignites-tensions-malaysia-pm-anwar-urges-respect-royal-order?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Jan 2025 11:45:20 +0000 Najib Razak’s house arrest saga has pulled political rivals Umno and main opposition party Pas closer, after the parties vowed to rally next week in solidarity with the jailed former prime minister, whose quickest route to release into house arrest appears to have been blocked. Najib, 71, has taken the Malaysian government to court accusing it of hiding a decree by Sultan Abdullah, Malaysia’s former king, granting him the right to serve the remainder of his prison sentence for corruption linked... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3292728/malaysias-pas-and-umno-press-najibs-release-house-arrest?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3292728/malaysias-pas-and-umno-press-najibs-release-house-arrest?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 Dec 2024 06:29:18 +0000 Scandal-hit Malaysian state fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) said on Monday it has filed a legal claim of more than US$1 billion against corporate services provider Amicorp Group and its CEO, alleging the firm knowingly facilitated over US$7 billion in fraudulent transactions. The claim, among one of the biggest filed by 1MDB related to the multibillion dollar graft scandal, was filed in the British Virgin Islands against eight Amicorp entities and its Chief Executive Officer Toine... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3292007/malaysias-1mdb-sues-hong-kong-headquartered-amicorp-us1-billion-alleged-fraud?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3292007/malaysias-1mdb-sues-hong-kong-headquartered-amicorp-us1-billion-alleged-fraud?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Dec 2024 09:00:16 +0000