While civil society groups welcomed the verdict, many said it raised fresh questions about the independence of Malaysia’s institutions and exposed deep structural problems that had not been addressed since the 1MDB scandal was exposed more than a decade ago, Reuters reported.
Transparency International Malaysia (TI-M) president Raymon Ram was quoted as saying that the verdict represented a chance for the government to implement long-promised institutional reforms.
These include plans to separate the attorney-general’s role as the government’s top legal adviser and function as public prosecutor, which had often led to conflicts of interest in politically sensitive cases, he said.
“If Parliament and the government deliver on core reforms in 2026, Malaysians can begin to believe that integrity is no longer episodic, but embedded. If not, the risk is clear: accountability will remain selective, reforms will stagnate, and public trust will continue to erode,” he said.
Malaysia scored 50 out of 100 in the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) in 2024, ranking 57th out of 180 countries, with the score stagnating in the last decade.
The CPI results indicate that while reform language has improved, perceptions of accountability and integrity have not shifted decisively, Ram said.
The High Court in Putrajaya sentenced Najib to 15 years in prison and fined him RM11.387 billion following his conviction in the 1MDB case.
The court had found the former prime minister guilty of four counts of abuse of power and 21 counts of money laundering involving RM2.28 billion in 1MDB funds deposited into his AmBank accounts between February 2011 and December 2014.
Najib has filed a notice of appeal against his conviction and sentence in the 1MDB case.
Center to Combat Corruption and Cronyism (C4) however said that the 1MDB case highlighted persistent risks, with the prime minister empowered to appoint key officials including the attorney-general, the anti-corruption agency chief and heads of government-linked companies.
C4 founder Cynthia Gabriel urged the government to pass a proposed law regulating political financing, and raised concerns over Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s continued alliance with Umno, ahead of state polls and a national election that must be held by early 2028.
“As the next general election looms… the government is hard-pressed to regain the confidence of its voters and the big question remains of Umno’s future with the current coalition,” Gabriel said.
The court verdict has stoked tensions within Anwar’s ruling alliance over the treatment of Najib, who remains a popular figure within some factions in Umno. The party had long campaigned against Anwar, but joined his coalition to form a unity government after the 2022 election resulted in a hung Parliament.
Anwar, who came to power on an anti-graft platform, has also faced criticism over the slow pace of reforms, with some quarters accusing him of betraying allies after prosecutors dropped some graft charges against Najib and key Umno figures.
Anwar said on Tuesday that the government was working hard to address governance issues and eliminate graft, though he acknowledged the challenge of stamping out systemic corruption.
The component parties of the unity government are set to hold a two-day retreat from Jan 10 to Jan 11, to review policy progress, assess the implementation of their manifestos, and evaluate whether their promises are being effectively delivered to the public.