Malaysian ex-PM Najib Razak found guilty in 1MDB trial: What we know

Al JazeeraEN 2 min read 100% complete by Sarah ShamimDecember 26, 2025 at 12:38 PM

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On December 26, 2025, former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak was found guilty by the Kuala Lumpur High Court on four counts of abuse of power and 21 counts of money laundering. The charges are linked to the 1MDB scandal, involving the illegal transfer of approximately 2.2 billion Malaysian ringgit ($543m) from the state-owned wealth fund. This is Najib's second trial related to the 1MDB scandal; he was previously convicted in 2020 on similar charges and sentenced to 12 years, later reduced. Najib claims the charges are politically motivated, but the judge cited "incontrovertible evidence" of abuse of power. Sentencing for this latest conviction is yet to be announced, with each charge carrying a potential 15-20 year prison term.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Collin Lawrence Sequerah 50% Kuala Lumpur High Court 60% Malaysia 70% 1MDB ×790% Najib Razak ×895%

Keywords

1mdb scandal 100% money laundering 90% najib razak 90% abuse of power 90% financial scandal 70% sovereign wealth fund 60% embezzlement 50% corruption 50% kuala lumpur high court 40%

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Negative

Score: -0.30

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Al Jazeera

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90%

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1mdb scandal money laundering najib razak abuse of power financial scandal sovereign wealth fund embezzlement corruption kuala lumpur high court

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