Will verdict in Najib’s first 1MDB trial trip up Malaysia snap election contenders?

A guilty verdict on Tuesday would end former PM Najib Razak’s campaign to rehabilitate his image and make a bid for his old job, says an analyst

A not guilty ruling may strengthen the formerly ruling Umno party, but that may not be good news for PM Muhyiddin Yassin

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Former Malaysian prime minister Najib Razak will hear the verdict in his trial, involving seven of the 42 criminal charges he is facing over his alleged role in the looting of Malaysia’s 1MDB state fund. Photo: AP

Published: 9:30am, 26 Jul 2020Updated: 9:37pm, 26 Jul 2020

A Malaysian court will on Tuesday hand down the verdict for the first of former prime minister Najib Razak’s five criminal trials linked to the 1MDB financial scandal, and observers say the ruling is likely to have far-reaching consequences not just for his personal future, but for the country’s tumultuous politics as well.

With Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin – propped up currently by Najib’s powerful United Malays National Organisation (Umno) – expected to trigger snap elections soon, the outcome of Najib’s legal troubles could weigh on the poll results.

Media reports have suggested the election could be called by year’s end to help the ruling Perikatan Nasional bloc shore up its two-seat parliamentary majority.

It is not yet certain if Muhyiddin – who is not an Umno member – will be the prime ministerial candidate for the ruling camp if polls are called. Instead, talk has been swirling that Najib, prime minister from 2009 to 2018, could make a shock comeback.

The Kuala Lumpur Courts Complex, where Najib has been on trial. Photo: Bloomberg

A guilty verdict would “terminate [Najib’s] ongoing campaign since the May 2018 general election to rehabilitate his image and make a second leadership bid” to return as prime minister, said Harrison Cheng, a Malaysia watcher with the Control Risks consultancy.

If he is found not guilty, analysts say the veteran politician’s current political resurgence will continue in the lead up to the general election, which will pit him against now-ousted political rivals – including elder statesman Mahathir Mohamad – who initiated the cases against him after their victory in 2018’s general election.

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