Malaysia’s Umno chief denies he ‘sidelined’ Najib to secure his own legal freedom

South China Morning PostCenter-RightEN 1 min read 100% complete by Joseph SipalanJanuary 16, 2026 at 11:07 AM

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Umno President Ahmad Zahid Hamidi is facing internal pressure and accusations that he abandoned former Prime Minister Najib Razak to secure his own legal freedom. This follows Najib's recent unsuccessful bid for house arrest and a new 15-year jail sentence for corruption related to the 1MDB scandal. Simultaneously, Ahmad Zahid was cleared of corruption charges. Umno grassroots members are urging Ahmad Zahid to withdraw from Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim's government in protest of Najib's legal setbacks. Ahmad Zahid denies that joining the coalition government was a self-serving move, stating this during his policy speech at Umno's general assembly. The situation highlights internal divisions within Umno, which is part of the current ruling coalition.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Sultan Abdullah Ahmad Shah 40% 1MDB ×260% Anwar Ibrahim ×270% Umno ×580% Malaysia ×280% Najib Razak ×690% Ahmad Zahid Hamidi ×590%

Keywords

umno 90% corruption 80% najib razak 80% ahmad zahid hamidi 80% political coalition 70% legal freedom 60% anwar ibrahim 60% 1mdb 60% house arrest 50% attorney general 40%

Sentiment Analysis

Negative

Score: -0.30

Source Transparency

Source

South China Morning Post

Political Lean

Center-Right (0.50)

Far LeftCenterFar Right

Classification Confidence

90%

This article was automatically classified using rule-based analysis. The political bias score ranges from -1 (far left) to +1 (far right).

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umno corruption najib razak ahmad zahid hamidi political coalition legal freedom anwar ibrahim 1mdb house arrest attorney general

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