Malaysian PM Anwar Ibrahim did not support payment of Razak’s fine — Channel NewsAsia
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said that he does not support the decision by the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) to pay the 50 million ringgit fine of former Prime Minister Najib Razak. Channel NewsAsia reports that the head of government stressed that this should not create the impression that corruption involving billions of ringgit can simply be ignored.
The prime minister’s position
Ibrahim told journalists that paying the fine was UMNO’s decision and matter, but that he personally disagreed with it. According to him, Malaysians must adhere to firm moral principles in countering abuse of power and corruption.
The Pakatan Harapan coalition led by Ibrahim governs Malaysia together with UMNO in a national unity government.
Payment of the fine and house arrest
UMNO Secretary-General Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki confirmed on November 6 that the party had paid Razak’s fine at the Kuala Lumpur High Court. According to him, the “Najib Razak Solidarity Fund” donation campaign, launched on September 18, raised sufficient funds for the payment.
More current news is available on the UA.News Telegram channel Telegram.
Payment of the fine was one of the conditions of a conditional pardon granted on September 18 by Malaysia’s king, Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar. It allows Razak to serve the remainder of his sentence under house arrest until August 23, 2028, subject to certain conditions. Razak’s lawyer, Muhammad Farhan Muhammad Shafee, said that after the payment, the High Court issued a house arrest order.
Former Democratic Action Party lawmaker Tony Pua called for an audit of the donations collected. He said that a review by Bank Negara Malaysia and the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission would be important to establish the legality of the origin of the funds.
Razak led Malaysia’s government from 2009 to 2018 and has been in prison since 2022. He was convicted on seven charges in a case involving 42 million ringgit belonging to SRC International, a former subsidiary of the state fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad. In 2024, the Pardons Board reduced his prison sentence from 12 to six years and lowered the fine from 210 million to 50 million ringgit. Razak denies wrongdoing.
