Najib Razak, the former Malaysian prime minister convicted of money laundering linked to the 1MDB scandal, could capitalise on an early general election victory to avoid imprisonment, the country’s opposition leader has warned.
Anwar Ibrahim, one of Malaysia’s longest-serving and most prominent politicians, said some members of Najib’s party were trying to bring forward the 2023 election so they could consolidate power and influence the judiciary.
“They are pushing for quick elections,” Anwar said in an interview with the Financial Times. “My question is: to do what? To continue to steal and save yourselves from likely imprisonment? Because in the case of Najib . . . he has been convicted.”