Former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak Sentenced to 15 Years in 1MDB Corruption Case

On December 26, 2025, Malaysia's High Court sentenced former Prime Minister Najib Razak to 15 years in prison and imposed a fine of 13.5 billion ringgit ($3.3 billion) for his role in the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) corruption scandal. Najib, 72, was convicted on four counts of abuse of power and 21 counts of money laundering, involving over $700 million transferred into his personal accounts from the state investment fund.

Justice Collin Lawrence Sequerah delivered the sentence, specifying that the 15-year prison terms for each abuse of power charge and five-year terms for each money laundering charge would run concurrently. This new sentence will commence after Najib completes his current 12-year term for a previous 1MDB-related conviction. Additionally, the court ordered the recovery of 2.08 billion ringgit ($514 million) in assets under money laundering laws.

Najib's defense argued that the funds were political donations from Saudi Arabia and that he was misled by financier Low Taek Jho, who remains at large. However, Justice Sequerah dismissed these claims, stating that Najib's assertion of a Saudi donation was "incapable of belief" and that evidence clearly showed the funds originated from 1MDB.

This ruling marks a significant milestone in the extensive 1MDB scandal, which involved the misappropriation of over $4.5 billion from the state fund between 2009 and 2014. The scandal had far-reaching implications, leading to investigations in multiple countries and contributing to the downfall of Najib's government in the 2018 elections.

Najib's legal team has announced plans to appeal the verdict, contending that the judge made numerous errors during the trial. Despite the appeal, Najib remains incarcerated, facing an extended period behind bars due to the consecutive nature of his sentences.