Najib Razak

Early life and education

Najib was born on 23 July 1953 at the Pahang State Secretary official residence in Bukit Bius, Kuala Lipis, Pahang. Najib is the eldest of second Malaysian Prime Minister Abdul Razak's six sons. His younger brother, Dato' Seri Mohd Nazir Abdul Razak, runs the country's second-largest lender, Bumiputra-Commerce Holdings Bhd. Najib is also one of the Four Noblemen of the Pahang Darul Makmur (Royal Court) by virtue of his inherited title as the Orang Kaya Indera Shahbandar. He received his primary and secondary education at St. John's Institution, Kuala Lumpur. He later attended Malvern College in Worcestershire, England, and subsequently went to the University of Nottingham, where he received a bachelor's degree in industrial economics in 1974. Najib Razak returned to Malaysia in 1974 and entered the business world, serving briefly at Bank Negara Malaysia and later with Petronas (Malaysia's national oil company) as a public affairs manager.

Early political career

The eldest son of Malaysian Prime Minister, Abdul Razak Hussein, was elected to the Parliament of Malaysia in 1976 replacing his deceased father in the Pahang-based seat of Pekan. The national outpouring of grief following Tun Razak's death and the respect for his father helped Najib win election unopposed as Member of Parliament at the very young age of 23. In 1986 Najib won re-election to the same seat.

From 1982 to 1986 he was the Menteri Besar (Chief Minister) of Pahang, before holding various cabinet posts throughout the remainder of the 1980s and 1990s, including Defence and Education. In 2004, he became Deputy Prime Minister under Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, and replaced him 2009. Under his leadership, Barisan Nasional won the 2013 elections, although for the first time in Malaysia's history the opposition won the majority of the popular vote.

Najib was first assigned into the Cabinet of Malaysia at the age of 25 when he was appointed Deputy Minister of Energy, Telecommunications and Post in 1978, becoming the youngest deputy minister in the country. He served as the Menteri Besar (Chief Minister) of Pahang between 1982 and 1986, becoming the youngest Menteri Besar in the state to enter office when he was sworn in at the age of 29. In 1986 he was appointed as Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports in the Cabinet of Mahathir Mohamad. He focused on improving Malaysian sports and introduced the National Sports Policy in 1988. In 1989 Malaysia achieved its best-ever performance at the South East Asia (SEA) Games, held in Kuala Lumpur.

Najib was appointed head of UMNO Youth's Pekan branch and became a member of UMNO Youth's Executive Council (Exco) in 1976. In 1981, he was selected as a member of UMNO's Supreme Council, before winning the post of Vice-President of UMNO Youth in 1982.

On 26 October 1987, the then leader of the opposition, Lim Kit Siang, called for the Anti-Corruption Agency to investigate how Najib, who was then Pahang MB, could give approval for a logging concession of 2000 acres to a resident of a low-cost housing estate. He asked ACA to investigate whether the logging concessionnaire was in fact a nominee for Najib himself.

In 1987, Najib was selected as the acting head of the Movement of UMNO Youth by Dato' Seri Anwar Ibrahim after Anwar was asked to contest the post of UMNO Vice-President. Following mounting ethnic tensions anti-Chinese sentiments were expressed at a UMNO Youth rally held in Kampung Baru, Kuala Lumpur the same year where Najib spoke. Rising tensions soon lead to fears of ethnic violence and eventually resulted in a security operation known as Operasi Lalang, that included numerous administrative detentions.

Senior ministerial career

Minister for defence (1991–1995)

In 1991, Mahathir appointed Najib as Minister of Defence. Under Najib's direction, Malaysian troops were deployed to assist the UN peacekeeping forces in Bosnia in 1993 during the Bosnian War. Malaysian forces were greeted warmly by Bosnians as well as Serbs and Croats. Malaysia also assisted peacekeeping operations in Somalia in 1993, losing one soldier in an effort to aid US soldiers during the Battle of Mogadishu. Najib later criticised the UN's Somalia operation as putting too much emphasis on military action. Since then Malaysia has stated a preference for participating in Chapter 6 "peace enforcement" missions, rather than Chapter 7 "peacekeeping" missions. After four years at the Ministry of Defence, Najib assumed control of the Education Ministry in 1995. He returned to the Ministry of Defence in 2000.

Japanese raped Malay comfort women but UMNO leader Najib Razak blocked all attempts by other UMNO members like Mustapha Yakub at asking Japan for compensation and apologies.

Minister for education (1995–2000)

In 1995, Najib left the Defence Ministry for the first time when he was appointed Minister of Education. His challenge was to respond to Malaysia's newly proclaimed aspiration to become a fully developed nation by 2020. The 1996 Private Higher Education Institutions Act, allowed foreign universities to establish degree-conferring schools in Malaysia, providing greater educational opportunities for Malaysians and positioning Malaysia as a regional learning hub.

During the 1999 general elections Najib suffered a major setback when he barely won re-election to the Parliament by a margin of 241 votes, compared to a margin of over 10,000 in the previous election. This is a surprise to political observers.

Return as minister for defence (2000–2008)

During his second tenure as Minister of Defence Najib coordinated Malaysia's relief efforts following the Indian Ocean tsunami of 2004, and provided support to Indonesia in arresting those responsible for the 2005 Bali bombings. Najib also oversaw the deployment of Malaysian troops as a part of a UN peacekeeping force in 2006, when Malaysia volunteered to help stabilise Lebanon following the 2006 Lebanon War.

As defence minister, Najib instituted compulsory military service in December 2003, stating that it would encourage interaction and friendship between youth of different ethnic groups and religions. During its first five years of operation, over 339,000 Malaysian youth participated in the PLKN (the Bahasa Malaysian acronym for "Malaysian National Service"), which is intended to promote tolerance, teamwork, and community engagement. The programme, however, has faced challenges. Safety issues in the program have been reported and several people died during or shortly after their terms of service during the program's first few years. In response, Najib strengthened the PLKN's health screening requirements and reinforced the government's commitment to punish negligent PLKN officials.

French courts investigated allegations of corruption in the purchases of two Scorpène-class submarines, by the Malaysian Ministry of Defence in 2002, at a time when Najib was the minister of defence. The allegations are that Abdul Razak Baginda, an aide of Najib, received "commission" payments from the French submarine builder DCNS. Shaariibuugiin Altantuyaa, a Mongolian woman hired as a French translator to facilitate the purchase of the submarines and mistress to Baginda, tried to blackmail Baginda for a $500,000 cut and was subsequently murdered. 2 policemen, who were bodyguards posted to Najib, were charged and found guilty. Reviewing the Altantuyaa case, Tommy Thomas, Attorney General of Malaysia from 2018 to 2020, wrote that the evidence "implicated not only Najib Razak as the person who gave [one of the bodyguards] the order to kill, but also his aide-de-camp, Musa Safri".

Deputy prime minister (2004–2009)

In 2004, Mahathir retired and was replaced by his deputy, Abdullah Ahmad Badawi. Najib became Deputy Prime Minister and was given a broad portfolio of responsibilities, including oversight of FELDA, the Human Rights Commission (SUHAKAM), and the Election Commission (EC). Najib also chaired more than 28 cabinet committees. He remained as Minister for Defence.

In September 2008, Najib became the Minister for Finance, handing the Defence portfolio to Badawi. During the 2008 financial crisis, Malaysia faced a strong recession and reduced levels of trade throughout the South Asian region. In response, Najib announced a series of stimulus packages to be implemented over a two-year period with the intention of acting as a countercyclical response that might otherwise protect Malaysia's economy. He also pressed for the country to move beyond existing manufacturing capabilities through education, research and development to develop greater strength as a provider of sophisticated business services.

Becoming prime minister

After a poor showing by the ruling UMNO coalition in the elections of 8 March 2008 in which opposition parties gained control of five of thirteen Malaysian state governments, Badawi identified Najib as his intended successor. On 8 October 2008, Prime Minister Badawi announced he would step down in March 2009, paving the way for Najib to succeed him. However he said the onus was on Najib to win party elections set for March before he could take over. Najib ran for the presidency of UMNO and went on to win on 2 November 2008, without contest.

On 26 March 2009, Najib won the UMNO presidency unopposed. He was sworn in as Prime Minister of Malaysia on 3 April 2009 In 2012, Najib also assumed the role of women, family and community development minister, a position he held until the 2013 election.

Prime minister (2009–2018)

During his tenure as prime minister, Najib implemented various economic and infrastructure development programs, including the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) initiative. However, his leadership was marred by allegations of corruption and misappropriation of funds related to the 1MDB scandal, which led to his political downfall. In this scandal, it was alleged that billions of dollars were siphoned off from the 1MDB state investment fund, which Najib was closely associated with, into his personal accounts and those of his associates. These funds were purportedly used for various personal expenses, including luxury real estate, artwork, and even financing the production of Hollywood films.

Najib consistently denied any wrongdoing and claimed that the funds in his personal accounts were donations from a Saudi royal family member, which he said were used for political purposes and not for personal gain. However, investigations by various authorities in multiple countries, including the United States and Switzerland, uncovered evidence suggesting a different story.

In 2018, Najib's political career faced a significant setback when his party, Barisan Nasional, lost the general elections to the Pakatan Harapan coalition. Subsequently, he faced legal charges related to the 1MDB scandal.

Domestic policy

1Malaysia is an ongoing campaign announced by Najib on 16 September 2008, calling for the cabinet, government agencies, and civil servants to emphasise ethnic harmony, national unity, and efficient governance. The eight values of 1Malaysia as articulated by Najib are perseverance, a culture of excellence, acceptance, loyalty, education, humility, integrity, and meritocracy. While the concept aimed to promote national unity and inclusiveness, some critics argued that it was primarily a political slogan and that it did not lead to significant policy changes to address the underlying issues of ethnic and cultural diversity in the country.

On 17 September 2008, Najib launched 1Malaysia.com.my in an effort to communicate with the citizens of Malaysia more efficiently and support the broader 1Malaysia campaign. He has used the site to highlight his policy initiatives and to provide a forum for Malaysians to their government. The 1Malaysia campaign makes extensive use of social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter. Research has suggested that Najib and UMNO have made extensive efforts to establish a favourable online presence through the recruitment and support of bloggers and other social media users, sometimes known as 'cybertroopers.'

However, Najib has been criticised for an apparent deterioration of race relations in Malaysia during his tenure that has occurred despite the 1Malaysia programme. In 2014, the long-serving former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad withdrew his support for Najib citing, among other things, the abandonment by Chinese voters of the Barisan Nasional coalition. Najib's tenure has also been marked by increasingly aggressive racial rhetoric from elements within Najib's UMNO party, particularly towards Chinese Malaysians. Additionally, there were concerns that the government's efforts to promote 1Malaysia were seen by some as a way to consolidate power and influence.

So, while the 1Malaysia concept was intended to promote unity and inclusiveness, it did face controversy and criticism from various quarters during Najib Razak's tenure as prime minister.

The first BR1M Project was a scheme devised by Najib Razak to help poor Malaysians. The amount of RM 500.00 Ringgit Malaysia was given to households with an income of less than RM 3,000 a month.

Economic policy

On 2 May 2009, Najib announced the government's plan to develop a New Economic Model that will speed Malaysia's transition to a high-income country. The plan will emphasise ways to increase the income and productivity of workers by encouraging knowledge industries and increasing investment from overseas.

Najib has started to implement comprehensive reform of government subsidies. On 16 July 2010, subsidies for petrol, diesel and LPG were cut as part of Malaysia's general programme of reducing and rationalising subsidies per the 10th Malaysia Plan and the New Economic Model. The government believes it will save RM 750 million by the end of 2010 through these measures with little negative impact on most citizens. Sugar and fuel subsidies were selected for reform because they disproportionately benefit the wealthy and foreigners, encourage over-consumption and create opportunities for fraud and smuggling. Najib expressed his hope that Malaysians would adopt a healthier lifestyle. He said, "there is no logic in the government allocating subsidies worth almost RM1 billion on a commodity that could endanger the people's health". Responding to concerns about how these reforms might affect the poor, the Prime Minister's Office pointed out that Malaysia will still be spending RM 7.82 billion per year on fuel and sugar subsidies and that prices for these commodities would remain the lowest in Southeast Asia. The government also stated that education and health care would continue receiving state support.

Malaysia has implemented substantial measures to attract foreign investment including a moderation of preferences designed to benefit ethnic Malays. Specifically these reforms include allowing foreign investors to hold majority stakes in most enterprises excluding "strategic" industries such as banking, telecommunications, and energy, easing insurance regulation, curtailing powers of the Foreign Investment Committee and lowering the minimum quota for Malay ownership in publicly traded companies from 30 percent to 12.5 percent. As he introduced the reforms Najib stated, "The world is changing quickly and we must be ready to change with it or risk being left behind."

Since these reforms have been implemented, the American banking firms Goldman Sachs and Citigroup have been granted permission to expand their operations in Malaysia. Goldman Sachs received licenses to set up fund management and advisory operations. Citigroup has obtained a permit to offer brokerage services. The approval of these licenses is a sharp break from Malaysia's history of domestically dominated and tightly regulated markets for financial services.

Foreign policy

The government of Malaysia has long been a strong supporter of the Palestinian cause against the Israeli occupation of the West Bank. Malaysia also supports unity between the Palestinian Fatah and Hamas factions. Najib visited the West Bank with his wife Rosmah Mansor, escorted by senior officers of the Malaysian government. Najib became the first Muslim leader from South East Asia to set foot on Palestinian soil. Najib says Palestinians can count on Malaysia, but for there to be lasting peace, Hamas and Fatah must unite to safeguard the safety and security of the Palestinian people. Malaysia will give Palestine the moral, financial and political support it needs to rise above its struggles, but securing a future of lasting peace hinges on the Palestinians being united. Najib also stated that for Palestine to move towards having a future it envisioned, Palestinians would have to take the first step – to unite among themselves.

Najib's visit in September 2017 to the United States on the invitation of President Donald Trump successfully strengthened the Comprehensive Partnership that was established between Malaysia and the United States in 2014.

Najib enjoyed a close personal relationship with then US President Barack Obama and managed to upgrade Malaysia-US relations to a 'comprehensive partnership'.

Najib and Obama met just before the Nuclear Security Summit in Washington on 12 April 2010. This was their first one-on-one meeting. During their talk, Obama sought further assistance from Malaysia in stemming nuclear proliferation which Obama described as the greatest threat to world security. During the summit, Najib stressed that Malaysia only supported nuclear programmes designed for peaceful purposes. Najib's attendance at the summit was part of a week-long official visit to the United States.

Najib travelled to India on a five-day state visit in January 2010. His 200-strong entourage included cabinet ministers, deputy ministers, state government officials, members of parliament, and prominent business leaders. During his visit, Najib pushed for a free-trade agreement and co-operation across a wide range of fields. Najib and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh signed an extradition treaty and agreements to co-operate in the areas of higher education and finance. The two countries agreed to sign a free-trade agreement before the end of 2010 and Najib called for signing a "Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement" by the same date. These economic agreements have resulted in plans for RM 1.6 trillion in investment for Malaysia. In January 2010, Najib announced plans to develop a new visa regime for Indian nationals, specifically for managers and knowledge workers to visit Malaysia.

14th Malaysian general election

Malaysia held its 14th general election in May 2018, where Barisan Nasional suffered a historic defeat, failing to win a majority for the first time in the country's history. Observers attributed the loss to the unpopular Goods and Services Tax and the 1MDB corruption scandal.

As the results became clear, Najib appeared on the morning of 10 May to state that he accepted the people's will, though he stopped short of conceding defeat. His comments were criticized by some analysts as "unstatesmanlike".

On 12 May 2018, Najib resigned as President of UMNO and Chairman of BN, with UMNO vice-president Hishammuddin Hussein succeeding him.

Post-premiership (2018–present)

Najib accepted the defeat and pledged to facilitate a smooth transfer of power. On 12 May 2018, three days after he lost the general elections, a flight manifest stated that Najib and his wife, Rosmah were taking a private jet to Halim Perdanakusuma International Airport in Jakarta. In response, the Immigration Department, upon the orders of Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, imposed a travel ban barring their exit from the country. Amidst the country's mood turning against him, Najib resigned as the leader of UMNO and Barisan Nasional on the same day.

The newly elected Pakatan Harapan government swiftly reopened investigations into the 1MDB scandal. Since 16 May 2018, the Malaysian police have searched six properties linked to Najib and Rosmah as part of the investigation into the 1MDB scandal. They have seized 284 boxes filled with designer handbags, 72 large luggage bags containing cash in multiple currencies, and other valuables. The Malaysian police commissioner confirmed that the police seized goods with an estimated value of between US$223 and US$273 million. The police described it as the biggest seizure in Malaysian history.

In January 2019, a 7-second video clip of Najib uttered "Malu Apa Bossku" ("What's there to be ashamed of my boss") went viral on the internet. Najib later released a picture of him posed on a Yamaha Y150 motorcycle with the registration plate 8055KU (BOSSKU). The catchphrase and the picture went viral on social media, especially with Malay youths, and inspired videos, memes, t-shirts, caps, vehicle stickers and a music video. The phenomenon has contributed to Najib's rise in popularity. Najib also claimed that his "Bossku" phenomenon has contributed to a victory for his party in 2020 Kimanis by-election.

In December 2023, his lawyer Mohamed Shafee Abdullah stated that Najib already requested to pursue Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) while serving his jail sentence in the prison.

COVID-19 measure violations

On 6 May 2021 amid the COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia, Najib was given two fines amounting to RM3,000 for failing to comply with standard operating procedures (SOPs) of the conditional movement control order (CMCO) at a chicken rice restaurant. On 11 January 2022, the police opened an investigation into an event attended by Najib over claims that there was a breach of COVID-19 SOPs.

On 27 February 2022, Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said he will review a video depicting Najib purportedly violating COVID-19 SOPs during a campaign visit in Perling, Johor. On 10 March 2022, Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin revealed that his ministry had issued 42 compound notices for the violation of SOPs during the campaign period for the Johor election, including five to Najib.

Controversies and issues

Murder of Altantuya Shaariibuu

Mongolian model Altantuya Shaariibuu disappeared outside the house of Abdul Razak Baginda, formerly a close associate of Najib, on October 19, 2006. She was never seen alive again. Three weeks later, her remains were found in a forest in Selangor. In 2008, Abdul Razak was acquitted by the High Court of abetment in the murder of Altantuyaa. In 2015, Chief Inspector Azilah Hadri and Corporal Sirul Azhar Umar were found guilty of her murder and sentenced to death.

In 2007, a Mongolian witness caused a stir in court when she revealed that Altantuya had been photographed having a meal with a Malaysian government official named 'Najib'. Detective P. Balasubramaniam also linked Najib to Altantuya in a statutory declaration (SD) on July 3, 2008. Najib has repeatedly denied knowing Altantuya or that he had any part in her death. Reviewing the Altantuyaa case, Tommy Thomas, Attorney General of Malaysia from 2018 to 2020, wrote that the evidence "implicated not only Najib Razak as the person who gave [one of the bodyguards] the order to kill, but also his aide-de-camp, Musa Safri".

LCS scandal

Najib has been implicated in the misappropriation of funds in the purchase of littoral combat ships (LCS). There is a perception that Najib was "the most powerful decision-maker" in the LCS procurement arrangements as he was both prime minister and finance minister at the time (April 2009). In 2022, Najib commented that the project was given to contractor Boustead Naval Shipyard Sdn Bhd because it was owned by the Armed Forces Fund Board (LTAT) and all profits of the project would thus go to the armed forces.

1Malaysia Development Berhad scandal

On 2 July 2015, The Wall Street Journal ran an exposé alleging that MYR 2.672 billion (US$700 million) had been channelled from 1MDB into Najib's personal bank accounts, triggering widespread calls for his resignation. Najib denied any wrongdoing and announced plans to sue the newspaper for libel but eventually failed to do so. On 6 July 2015, amid the 1MDB scandal, the ringgit fell to 3.8050 against the US dollar, the first time it slid beyond the 3.80 currency peg, which was lifted in 2005. To back up the allegations, on 7 July 2015, The Wall Street Journal released a batch of partially redacted documents that purportedly show how nearly US$700 million (RM2.6 billion) was moved from 1MDB into Najib's personal bank accounts. These documents relate to transactions in March 2013, December 2014 and February 2015.

The multi-agency task force investigating these allegations reported on 10 July 2015 that Najib's bank accounts at AmBank Islamic were closed before The Wall Street Journal reported the transfers of billions of ringgit to those accounts, thereby confirming that Najib had two accounts at that bank. The task force also confirmed that the six accounts it had just frozen did not belong to Najib but did not name the holders of those accounts Najib's handling of the corruption scandal was criticised by, among others, former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad and then Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin. During Najib's mid-term Cabinet reshuffle on 28 July 2015, Najib dropped Muhyiddin from his position as deputy prime minister, as well as other Ministers who had been critical of his leadership. Najib stated that the reason for this was to create a more "unified team".

On 1 August 2015, Najib addressed UMNO delegates in Seremban and in a clear reference to the Sarawak Report, the London-based whistleblower site founded and operated by journalist Clare Rewcastle Brown, demanded that "white people" stay out of Malaysia's affairs and stressed that he valued loyalty above all, and not smart people.

On 3 August 2015, the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission stated that the RM 2.6 billion that had been banked into Najib's personal account came from donors, not 1MDB, but did not elaborate on who the donors were or why the funds were transferred, nor why this explanation had taken so long to emerge since the allegations were first made on 2 July 2015. Umno Kuantan division chief Wan Adnan Wan Mamat later claimed that the RM 2.6 billion was from Saudi Arabia as thanks for fighting ISIS. He further claimed that the Muslim community in the Philippines as well as southern Thailand had also received similar donations, and that since the donations were made to Najib personally as opposed to UMNO, the funds were deposited into Najib's personal accounts.

Legal issues

Legal proceedings and conviction

On 3 July 2018 after the 14th Malaysian general election, Najib was arrested by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) as part of investigations into how RM42 million (US$10.6 million) went from SRC International into Najib's bank account. The following day, Najib was indicted in the High Court in Kuala Lumpur on three counts of criminal breach of trust and one count of abuse of power in connection with SRC International funds totalling RM42 million. He was granted bail at RM1 million after pleading not guilty with his trial set for 18 February 2019.

On 8 August 2018, Najib was charged with three further counts of money laundering as part of the MACC's investigation into the 1MDB scandal. Najib has denied making three transfers totalling RM42 from SRC International into his bank accounts.

On 10 September 2018, Najib posted a copy of the letter that purportedly came from Prince Saud Abdulaziz Al-Saud of Saudi Arabia on his Facebook account, as a proof of the alleged financial donation of US$100mil (RM304.5mil) given to him in 2011. He said he decided to reveal the documents in a bid to clear his name of various accusations and slander, and would continue to do so on his social media accounts.

On 19 September 2018, Najib was arrested following two hours of questioning by the MACC, believed to be in relation to the RM2.6 billion donation he received in year 2013. Najib was charged on 20 September 2018 at the Sessions Court in Jalan Duta. However, he pleaded not guilty and was released on bail after his court appearance. On 21 September, he made a brief appearance at the Sessions Court registry to sign his bail at RM3.5 million for 25 counts of money laundering and abuse of power charges in relation to 1MDB. He has posted RM1 million for his bail, while the remaining RM2.5 million will be settled in instalments by the following week. In August 2019, during his second trial, Najib faces four charges of abuse of power and 21 charges of money laundering for receiving illegal transfers of RM 2.3 billion between 2011 and 2014.

On 28 July 2020, the High Court convicted Najib guilty on all seven counts of abuse of power, money laundering and criminal breach of trust in relation to the SRC International case, becoming the first Prime Minister of Malaysia to be convicted of corruption.

Appeal

Najib's appeal hearing in front of the Court of Appeal of Malaysia began on 5 April 2021. On 8 December 2021, the Court of Appeal of Malaysia dismissed Najib's appeal, therefore upholding both his conviction and 12-year sentence. Judge Abdul Karim Abdul Jalil has also condemned Najib's actions as a "national embarrassment". Najib's lawyer stated that his client, who remained outside prison on bail, would further appeal to the Federal Court of Malaysia against his conviction and sentence. On 16 August 2022, Malaysia's supreme court rejected Najib's appeal for a retrial, stating that the case had no evidence of bias. The Federal Court indicated that it would hear a final appeal by Razak in the SRC corruption case from 18 August 2022.

On 23 August 2022, when the Federal Court was finishing hearing the appeal, Najib's counsel made an application to recuse the Chief Justice Tengku Maimun. This application was dismissed and the Federal Court upheld the Court of Appeal's conviction, handing down its full judgment here. Najib was sent to Kajang Prison on the same day to begin his prison sentence.

Najib is the first Malaysian former prime minister to be convicted and jailed for corruption. Rumours that he would receive special treatment during his sentence were denied by officials. Upon the dissolution of Parliament on 10 October 2022, Najib's Pekan parliamentary seat was automatically vacated, and as he has been convicted of a crime, he is no longer eligible to stand in general elections.

Commutation and house arrest controversy

On 2 February 2024, the Malaysian pardons board, headed by the outgoing Yang di-Pertuan Agong Abdullah of Pahang announced that it had reduced Najib's sentence to six years and reduced fines imposed on him to 50 million ringgit ($10.59 million). On 3 April, Najib submitted an application in court requesting that his jail sentenced be converted to house arrest, which was rejected on 3 July.

On 24 October 2024, Najib apologised for the damage caused by the 1MDB scandal but insisted that he had been misled over the matter, saying that "Being held legally responsible for things that I did not initiate or knowingly enable is unfair to me".

On 27 November, the Kuala Lumpur High Court discharged a case of criminal breach of trust against Najib Razak over the 1MDB scandal, citing procedural delays. However, the court also allowed the filing of six addition cases against Najib and his treasury secretary Mohd Irwan Serigar Abdullah for misappropriating 6.6 billion ringgit ($1.5 billion) in public funds earmarked for 1MDB's settlement payment to International Petroleum Investment Company of the United Arab Emirates.

In January 2025, the Court of Appeal granted Najib Razak the right to access a document he claims could allow him to serve his sentence at home. A recent letter from the royal palace confirmed the existence of a royal order for house arrest, which has now been acknowledged publicly for the first time. This decision was upheld by the Federal Court in August, which then remitted the case back to High Court to ascertain the validity of the addendum order. However in December, the High Court ruled that the royal order was invalid and denied his request for house arrest. The High Court cited that the order was made without prior deliberation of the pardons board, hence it was in violation with Article 42 of the Constitution. The judge said the lack of legal provisions for house arrest under Malaysian law also rendered such an order unenforceable.

Soon after the High Court judgement, Najib's lead counsel Shafee Abdullah told the court of Najib's intention to appeal, and an appeal was formally filed on 24 December. On 27 April 2026, it was reported that Najib has formally withdrawn the appeal to the Court of Appeal “without liberty to file afresh” back on 3 April, and subsequently has his appeal recorded as struck out by the deputy registrar of the Court of Appeal on 14 April. With this withdrawal, Najib has relinquished his right to appeal for house arrest. No reasons were given for the withdrawal, and Najib's lawyer Shafee has refused to comment when pressed over the issue.

Second conviction

On 26 December 2025, after six years of trial, the High Court convicted Najib on four counts of abuse of power and 21 counts of money laundering regarding the channelling of more than $700 million in funds over the 1MDB scandal, which Najib insisted were political donations from the Saudi royal family instead of originating from 1MDB. He was sentenced to 15 years' imprisonment and a fine of 13.5 billion ringgit ($3.3 billion). The court also ordered his 15 years jail term to begin in 2028, after finishing his previous SRC International case prison terms. If default on the fine, he will also face additional 10 years in prison for the abuse of power charges, and 2 years and six months for the money laundering charges. After the verdict, Najib's lawyer Shafee Abdullah indicated that they will appeal the case to the Court of Appeal on 29 December.

Personal life

In 1976, Najib married Tengku Puteri Zainah Tengku Eskandar ('Kui Yie') with whom he has three children: Mohd Nizar Najib (born 1978), Mohd Nazifuddin Najib and Puteri Norlisa Najib.

In 1987, he divorced Kui Yie and married Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor with whom he has two children: Mohd Norashman Najib and Nooryana Najwa Najib. His daughter Nooryana is married to the nephew of former Kazakhstani President, Nursultan Nazarbayev.

Najib's extravagant lifestyle garnered significant attention and controversy during his time in power. His wife Rosmah faced scrutiny for her expensive shopping habits, which allegedly included purchasing luxury handbags, jewelry, and clothing from top fashion brands. A large collection of designer handbags, some of which were worth millions of dollars, was seized from their properties during investigations. Najib was accused of using state funds for personal expenses, including covering credit card bills and luxury purchases. These allegations became a focal point of the 1MDB scandal.

Najib Razak is an avid golf lover and is known to have played golf with the two US Presidents – Barack Obama and Donald Trump. Trump referred to Najib as his "favourite prime minister".

Najib Razak has four long-haired cats, named Kiki, Leo, Tiger and Simba.

Honours

Honours of Malaysia

Kedah

Member of the Supreme Order of Sri Mahawangsa (DMK) – Dato' Seri Utama (2008)

Kelantan

Knight Grand Commander of the Order of the Crown of Kelantan (SPMK) – Dato' (2004)

Malacca

Knight Grand Commander of the Premier and Exalted Order of Malacca (DUNM) – Datuk Seri Utama (2007)

Negeri Sembilan

Knight Grand Commander of the Order of Loyalty to Negeri Sembilan (SPNS) – Dato' Seri Utama (2005, revoked 26 October 2018)

Pahang

Member 2nd class of the Family Order of the Crown of Indra of Pahang (DK II) (2010)

Knight Grand Companion of the Order of Sultan Ahmad Shah of Pahang (SSAP) – Dato' Sri (1985)

Knight Grand Companion of the Order of the Crown of Pahang (SIMP) – formerly Dato', now Dato' Indera

Knight Companion of the Order of Sultan Ahmad Shah of Pahang (DSAP) – Dato'

Penang

Knight Grand Commander of the Order of the Defender of State (DUPN) – Dato' Seri Utama (2009, revoked 15 September 2022)

Perak

Ordinary Class of the Perak Family Order of Sultan Azlan Shah (SPSA) – Dato' Seri Diraja (2004)

Foreign honours

Bahrain

King Hamad Order for Development – (2017)

King Hamad (Al Nahda) First Medal – (2017)

Brunei

1st Class of the Family Order of Brunei (DK) – Dato Laila Utama (2010)

Saudi Arabia

Member 1st Class of the Order of Abdulaziz al Saud – (2010)

Singapore

Recipient of the Distinguished Service Order (Military) (DUBC) (1995)

Thailand

Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the White Elephant – (1991)

United Arab Emirates

Order of the Union Medal – (2014)

Honorary degrees

Malaysia

Honorary Ph.D. degree in Social Transformation from Limkokwing University (2008)

Honorary Ph.D. degree from Monash University (2011)

Japan

Honorary Ph.D. degree from Meiji University (2010)

Palestine

Honorary Ph.D. degree from al-Aqsa University (2013)

Other

On 1 February 2016, FinanceAsia has named Najib as the worst finance minister in 2016. The magazine said that 2015 had been a challenging year for the Malaysian economy, with a "double whammy" of the 1MDB scandal and the collapse in oil prices.