FORMER Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak was arrested on Tuesday by the officials of anti-graft body Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) from his residence in Langgak Duta. Malaysian officials said his detention was a part of an investigation over the 1MDB (US$4.5b) corruption scandal. He is expected to be formally charged today (Wednesday).
Najib’s arrest comes nearly two months after his coalition’s stunning rejection by voters in a May 9 general election. He could be charge for a suspicious transfer of millions of dollar into his bank account from SRC International using multiple intermediary companies. Mahathir Mohamad, after sworn in power, right away warned that Najib could be charged over corruption and Malaysian police raided Najib’s house on May 17, a few days after election.
Najib, eldest son of Malaysia’s second Prime Minister Abdul Razak Hussein, served as the 6th Prime Minister of Malaysia from 2009 to 2018. His party Barisan Nasional coalition maintained control of Malaysia’s government with a parliamentary majority for more than sixty years until the coalition’s defeat in the 2018 general election.
As a Deputy Prime Minister, a carrier politician Najib Razak did not waste any time to replace the then Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi when Barisan Nasional suffered heavy losses in the 2008 general election, and under Najib’s leadership Barisan Nasional won majority in 2013 election.
Najib enjoyed the friendship of US President Donald Trump, who after playing golf with him in 2014 gave him a photo inscribed, “To my favorite prime minister.” What is irony of fate that, now US investigators said at least US$4.5 billion was stolen and laundered by Najib’s associates, some of which landed in his bank account, which started in 2009.
Undoubtedly it’s a high drama in Malaysian politics since incumbent Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad’s Pakatan Harapan coalition got victory in May’s general election, defeating Najib’s Barisan Nasional bloc, which had held uninterrupted power since 1957.
Coming to power, Najib – known as ‘Man of Steal’ – felt free to involve in big-scale financial corruption on the sure belief the jailed Anwar Ibrahim, the main opposition leader, will have no chance to come to power. So he comfortably abused power and safely indulged corruption. But former Prime Minister joined hands with Anwar Ibrahim and jointly defeated him in the election.
His dream of continuing in power lifelong has become a nightmare and he is facing investigation for plundering the country. He is now in jail for rampant corruption. Najib after election defeat tried to flee the country but failed. No sensible man takes power for granted and behave recklessly thinking he shall above law ever.
