Court rulings soon on Najib Razak could decide ex-Malaysian premier’s political fate

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Victory in two upcoming court cases could pave the way for ex-premier Najib Razak to make a political comeback.

PHOTO: BERITA HARIAN

KUALA LUMPUR – Former Malaysian prime minister Najib Razak heads into a pivotal week in court, with two rulings that could reopen his path back to power.

Najib, who is serving time for crimes related to the 1MDB scandal,

will find out on

Four days later, the High Court will decide whether to convict or acquit him of four charges of abuse of power and 21 counts of money laundering, in his biggest trial linked to the sovereign wealth fund.

Victory in both cases could pave the way for Najib to make a political comeback, and may spark a backlash against Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, who has positioned himself as a champion against graft.

A reaffirmed conviction without house arrest would leave Najib, 72, firmly sidelined and further undermine his political relevance, while bolstering Mr Anwar’s assertion that the judiciary operates independently under his watch.

“He did not get a fair trial” in both cases, Najib’s lawyer, Mr Muhammad Shafee Abdullah, told reporters at the Kuala Lumpur High Court on Dec 18.

“We hope Monday is a good decision for us. We hope Friday is a good decision for us,” he said.

Mr Shafee in an October interview said Najib may return to politics if he is pardoned and allowed out of