Malaysia’s Former PM Ismail Sabri Charged Over Undeclared Assets

Former Malaysian Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob, 66, has been charged with failing to fully declare assets worth tens of millions of dollars to the country’s anti-corruption authorities.

Ismail Sabri pleaded not guilty at the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court on Thursday. Prosecutors allege that he concealed assets worth about $40 million, held in nine currencies, along with gold and silver bars.

His lawyer, Amer Hamzah Arshad, said the case essentially concerns an alleged failure to comply with a notice requiring the declaration of certain assets. He also said the defence has concerns about the legality and propriety of the charge.

The court granted Ismail Sabri bail of 300,000 Malaysian ringgit ($74,504) and rejected a request to seize his passport, saying there was no evidence that he posed a flight risk.

He is scheduled to return to court on September 29. If convicted, he could face up to five years in prison.

Ismail Sabri served as prime minister for 15 months, from August 2021 to November 2022, making his tenure the shortest among Malaysia’s recent prime ministers.

The case makes him the third former Malaysian prime minister to face criminal proceedings linked to alleged corruption. Former Prime Minister Najib Razak is serving a reduced prison sentence over the multibillion-dollar 1MDB scandal, while former Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin is currently on trial over corruption and money-laundering allegations.

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