The pressure on Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak continues to mount. Reports of corruption in his administration have brought tens of thousands of protesters into the streets. The odds of him resigning are long, as long as the ruling United Malays National Organization (UNMO), which has governed Malaysia since independence, stays in his corner. Thus far, its support remains strong.
The scandal began several months ago when it was reported that nearly $700 million had been rerouted from 1MDB, a state-owned investment company that Najib had set up in 2009 to spur economic development, to the prime minister's personal bank accounts in the run-up to national elections in 2013. The scandal came to light when 1MDB began missing debt payments in 2014. An investigation revealed that the company was $11 billion in debt and that money trail suggested that Najib had been looting its bank accounts.
Najib denied the charges, insisting that he received no funds from 1MDB, that the money came from private supporters in the Mideast and that he had broken no laws. An investigation by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission concurred, agreeing that funds had been transferred to the Najib's bank account but concluding that the funds came from private donors (without identifying who they were).