In interview, Malaysia's Najib says advisers hid corruption from him
Former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak says he shouldn't be blamed for the multibillion-dollar 1MDB scandal, and declares he knows nothing about money from the state fund appearing in his personal account. He does, though, have explanations for the vast sums of cash, luxury handbags ...
Malaysia seeks to lay multiple charges against former Prime Minister Najib Razak over 1MDB
Embezzlement and bribery with government money are among the charges that Malaysia is looking to bring against former leader Najib Razak following a probe into funds allegedly looted from the state-run fund 1MDB, Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad has said. Mahathir said in a Tuesday interview ...
Malaysia's top two judges resign as new government purges top officials
Malaysia's two most senior judges have resigned from their posts, as Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad's government purges top officials seen as close to the previous administration. The list of top officials who have either been removed from or quit their posts has steadily grown over ...
U.S. probe of Malaysia's 1MDB picks up speed after Najib's election loss
U.S. investigators have accelerated their probe into the 1MDB sovereign wealth fund set up by former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak and are exchanging more evidence with Malaysian authorities since Najib lost last month's election, three sources with direct knowledge of the probe said. At ...
Malaysia's Najib Razak is out of power but his legacy lives on in giant skyscraper
As Malaysia seeks to move beyond the excesses associated with nearly a decade of rule under ex-Prime Minister Najib Razak, one of his pet projects continues to rise irreversibly skyward to become the tallest building in Southeast Asia. Just months from completion, Exchange 106 — ...
Evidence that Malaysia's Najib received 1MDB funds was ignored, probe panelists say
The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) found evidence in late 2015 that 42 million ringgit ($10.6 million) was transferred from a former subsidiary of state fund 1MDB into an account of then Prime Minister Najib Razak, but its recommendation for further investigation was rejected by ...
Mahathir Mohamad's shock election win raises specter of populist economics
Mahathir Mohamad's shock Malaysian election win has raised concerns that his populist promises could undermine economic prospects at an increasingly challenging time for emerging markets, despite hopes elsewhere that he may revive his bold approach to economic management. The Malaysian economy, while vulnerable in some ...
Former strongman Mahathir Mohamad is Malaysia’s comeback kid
Malaysia's Mahathir Mohamad has never lost an election campaign. He maintained that record and created another one on Thursday when, at 92, he was set to be sworn in as the world's oldest elected leader. "Yes, yes, I am still alive," a sprightly looking Mahathir ...
Clash of political titans Mahathir Mohamad and Najib Razak brings a gripping election to Malaysia
Malaysia's general election on Wednesday will be an extraordinary contest, pitting a 92-year-old former authoritarian leader and a jailed reformist he fell out with 20 years ago against a prime minister who has been mired in a multibillion-dollar scandal. Few doubt that Prime Minister Najib ...
Malaysia's election campaign kicks off amid claims of sabotage and bias
Campaigning for Malaysia's general election started officially on Saturday, pitting Prime Minister Najib Razak against his former mentor, Mahathir Mohamad, in a contest marred by claims of sabotage and a skewed electoral system. Najib leads his undefeated ruling coalition into arguably its toughest election since ...
Malaysian court jails and fines artist for clown caricature of prime minister
A Malaysian artist and prominent opposition activist was jailed for a month on Tuesday for publishing a clown-like caricature of Prime Minister Najib Razak, a ruling likely to exacerbate concern about free speech. Southeast Asia's third-largest economy recently announced plans to amend a law to ...
'Fake news' crutch used by Southeast Asian leaders to control media, critics charge
Governments across Southeast Asia have a history of using laws and the judiciary to curb press freedoms — now, they have found a handy crutch to lean on as they intensify clampdowns: U.S. President Donald Trump's "fake news" mantra. Most worrying to media rights advocates ...
