Najib’s new 1MDB verdict deepens Umno rifts, testing Malaysia’s unity government
The jail term for the former prime minister has reignited grass roots anger and raised questions over Umno’s future inside Anwar’s coalition
The judge also imposed a massive 11.4 billion ringgit fine and ordered Najib to return 2.08 billion ringgit deemed to be proceeds of the offences, failing which he faces additional jail time. Najib, through his lawyer, said he would appeal.
While the outcome was widely expected after the seven-year trial, analysts said the verdict has triggered political aftershocks that are still unfolding, particularly within the United Malays National Organisation (Umno), which governed Malaysia for six decades before being swept from power in 2018 amid public outrage over 1MDB.
Former Malaysian prime minister Najib found guilty in final 1MDB criminal case
“The ruling underscores the limits of Umno’s leverage,” Amir Fareed Rahim, strategic director at risk consultancy KRA Group, told This Week in Asia. “Despite repeated political realignments, the party has been unable to change the legal trajectory of Najib’s case.”