Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

Malaysia ex-PM charged with corruption over Covid spending

Malaysia ex-PM charged with corruption over Covid spending

Malaysia's former prime minister who led during the height of the pandemic has been charged with corruption — a move that ratchets up already bitter political tensions in the country.
Muhyiddin Yassin, 75, was arrested just months after losing an election to PM Anwar Ibrahim in November.

The former PM has been accused of bribery and money laundering through his government's Covid spending fund.

He rejects the allegations, which his supporters say are politically driven.

The criminal case aimed at the leader of the conservative opposition alliance comes ahead of crucial state elections in July.

Muhyiddin is now the second former Malaysian prime minister to face corruption charges, after Najib Razak was jailed to 12 years for corruption involving the state's 1MDB investment firm.

Now the leader of a Malay-ethnic, Muslim alliance, Muhyiddin ran the country from 2020 to 2021 for 17 months.

He has a long-time rivalry with current PM Anwar. The two have a history of political betrayals that has fuelled a long enmity.

Multiple charges of bribery and money laundering were laid against the former leader in a Kuala Lumpur court on Friday.

Prosecutors have accused him of sourcing $51m (£42m) in bribes from companies who hoped to benefit from an emergency government spending programme. They have also alleged two instances of money laundering through the fund.

If convicted he faces 20 years in prison. Muhyiddin entered a not guilty plea in court on Friday and was released on bail - although his passport was withheld.

The opposition leader was charged just a dayafter appearing at an anti-corruption watchdog's probe into the allegations.

The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission launched the probe in February, freezing his party's bank accounts. Two former party leaders have also been arrested on corruption charges.

The incident further fuels tensions in Malaysian politics.

Muhyiddin's conservative ethnic-Malay, Muslim alliance was most popular among the country's majority Malay voter population in November's election.

But PM Anwar Ibrahim eventually secured power with a progressive, multi-ethnic coalition - after joining up with the once all-powerful but now disgraced United Malays National Organisation party (UMNO) which has been tainted by corruption. Anwar's deputy, the current UMNO leader, is also facing corruption charges.

July's state elections are being widely seen as a test of support for the current prime minister.

That has added to the strong belief among many of Mr Muhyiddin's supporters that his prosecution is political.

The case is being viewed by many Malaysians through the prism of intense rivalries which have shaken the country's politics since the historic defeat five years ago of the once unbeatable UMNO.

The country has seen five different prime ministers in as many years - a trial of a senior figure is inevitably viewed as a political event, observers say.
AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán stated that Hungary will not adopt the euro because the European Union is falling apart.
Mayor in western Germany in intensive care after stabbing
Australian government pays Deloitte nearly half a million dollars for a report built on fabricated quotes, fake citations, and AI-generated nonsense.
BYD’s UK Sales Soar Nearly Nine-Fold, Making Britain Its Biggest Market Outside China
Latvia to Bar Tourist and Occasional Buses to Russia and Belarus Until 2026
Wave of Complaints Against Apple Over iPhone 17 Pro’s Scratch Sensitivity
Munich Airport Reopens After Second Drone Shutdown
Pro Europe and Anti-War Babiš Poised to Return to Power After Czech Parliamentary Vote
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Sentenced to Fifty Months in Prison Following Prostitution Conviction
Altman Says GPT-5 Already Outpaces Him, Warns AI Could Automate 40% of Work
Russian Research Vessel 'Yantar' Tracked Mapping Europe’s Subsea Cables, Raising Security Alarms
Global Cruise Industry Posts Dramatic Comeback with 34.6 Million Passengers in 2024
U.S. Demands Brussels Scrutinize Digital Rules to Prevent Bias Against American Tech
Private Equity’s Fundraising Surge Triggers Concern of European Market Shake-Out
Tokyo’s Jimbōchō Named World’s Coolest Neighbourhood for 2025
European Officials Fear Trump May Shift Blame for Ukraine War onto EU
The Personality Rights Challenge in India’s AI Era
Italy Considers Freezing Retirement Age at 67 to Avert Scheduled Hike
Italian City to Impose Tax on Visiting Dogs Starting in 2026
Study Finds No Safe Level of Alcohol for Dementia Risk
Trump Says Ukraine Can Fully Restore Borders with NATO Backing
Europe Signals Stronger Support for Taiwan at Major Taipei Defence Show
Germany Weighs Excluding France from Key European Fighter Jet Programme
Cyberattack Disrupts Check-in and Boarding Systems at Major European Airports
Björn Borg Breaks Silence: Memoir Reveals Addiction, Shame and Cancer Battle
When Extremism Hijacks Idealism: How the Baader-Meinhof Gang Emerged and Fell
JWST Data Brings TRAPPIST-1e Closer to Earth-Like Habitability
Trump Orders $100,000 Fee on H-1B Visas and Launches ‘Gold Card’ Immigration Pathway
France’s Looming Budget Crisis and Political Fracture Raise Fears of Becoming Europe’s “Sick Man”
Three Russian MiG-31 Jets Breach Estonian Airspace in ‘Unprecedentedly Brazen’ NATO Incident
European manufacturers against ban on polluting cars: "The industry may collapse"
Turkish car manufacturer Togg Enters German Market with 5-Star Electric Sedan and SUV to Challenge European EV Brands
Christian Brueckner Released from German Prison after Serving Unrelated Sentence
World’s Longest Direct Flight China Eastern to Launch 29-Hour Shanghai–Buenos Aires Direct Flight via Auckland in December
New OpenAI Study Finds Majority of ChatGPT Use Is Personal, Not Professional
The conservative right spreads westward: a huge achievement for 'Alternative for Germany' in local elections
Pope Leo Warns of Societal Crisis Over Mega-CEO Pay, Citing Tesla’s Proposed Trillion-Dollar Package
Poland Green-Lights NATO Deployment in Response to Major Russian Drone Incursion
U.S. and China Agree on Framework to Shift TikTok to American Ownership
Le Pen Tightens the Pressure on Macron as France Edges Toward Political Breakdown
Czech Republic signs €1.34 billion contract for Leopard 2A8 main battle tanks with delivery from 2028
Penske Media Sues Google Over “AI Overviews,” Claiming It Uses Journalism Without Consent and Destroys Traffic
Indian Student Engineers Propose “Project REBIRTH” to Protect Aircraft from Crashes Using AI, Airbags and Smart Materials
One in Three Europeans Now Uses TikTok, According to the Chinese Tech Giant
Could AI Nursing Robots Help Healthcare Staffing Shortages?
NATO Deploys ‘Eastern Sentry’ After Russian Drones Violate Polish Airspace
The New Life of Novak Djokovic
German police raid AfD lawmaker’s offices in inquiry over Chinese payments
Volkswagen launches aggressive strategy to fend off Chinese challenge in Europe’s EV market
France Erupts in Mass ‘Block Everything’ Protests on New PM’s First Day
×