Najib’s 1MDB conviction: will former Malaysian PM’s Umno party stand by him?

The disgraced leader has been sentenced to 12 years’ jail and fined nearly US$50 million, but he plans to appeal and still has considerable political support

Some of the party’s heavyweights are sticking by their man, bringing into question their support for the government of Muhyiddin Yassin

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Facing time: Malaysia’s former prime minister Najib Razak arrives at the Kuala Lumpur High Court ahead of the guilty verdict in his first 1MDB trial. Photo: AFP

Published: 5:00pm, 29 Jul 2020Updated: 9:46pm, 29 Jul 2020

Najib Razak’s first 1MDB-linked criminal trial may be done and dusted, but the former Malaysian prime minister faces another cliffhanger.

Now he has been convicted and sentenced to jail, albeit with bail pending appeal, the next big question is this: will his long-time allies in the United Malays National Organisation (Umno) stand by him or cast him aside?

The powerful political party’s collective stance on Najib could weigh on its recent resurgence and the path forward in its alliance with Prime Minister Muhyuddin Yassin, analysts say.

Defeated in 2018’s elections after an uninterrupted 61 years as the country’s most important political force, Umno in February found itself back in power when a few defectors from the then-ruling Pakatan Harapan alliance reached out to it to form a new government.

Muhyiddin, among the instigators of that move, now depends on Umno’s 39 MPs to retain his Perikatan Nasional alliance’s two-seat parliamentary majority.

Those political manoeuvres marked a change in fortunes for Umno. Its 2018 defeat triggered deep soul searching, defections and an upheaval in its leadership.

Analysts believe Tuesday’s verdict will trigger a fresh round of navel gazing in the party, the country’s biggest political organisation with 3.2 million members.

Najib supporters outside the court in Kuala Lumpur. Photo: Bloomberg