Three Former PMs At The Same Court

Three former Malaysian prime ministers were at Kuala Lumpur’s Jalan Duta court complex on Thursday, Aug 27, each for a different legal battle. Ismail Sabri Yaakob, Najib Razak and Muhyiddin Yassin all appeared at the complex on the same day, creating a rare sight involving three men who once held Malaysia’s top political job. 

Together, they led the country at different points between 2009 and 2022. Their cases, however, are not connected. Ismail Sabri appeared over an alleged failure to declare assets, Najib returned for a civil lawsuit linked to the 1MDB scandal, while Muhyiddin continued his trial over charges tied to the Jana Wibawa programme. 

The proceedings involve large sums, from hundreds of millions of ringgit to billions of US dollars. Their schedules simply happened to bring all three former leaders to the same court complex on Thursday.

Ismail Sabri Arrives With Supporters From Bera

Ismail Sabri, 66, arrived with his legal team and was met by scores of supporters. Two busloads had travelled from Bera, the constituency he represents as an MP, to support him at court. 

Ismail Sabri served as prime minister from August 2021 to November 2022. He was charged with failing to declare assets under Malaysia’s anti-corruption law, with the assets said to include nearly US$40 million and gold bars. He had originally been scheduled to face the charge on Aug 7, but the proceedings were postponed after he was admitted to the National Heart Institute and underwent a pacemaker procedure. 

Ismail Sabri has also been at the centre of corruption and money laundering allegations. He was cal...