Najib Razak is a Malaysian politician, held the position of the sixth Prime Minister of Malaysia from 2009 to 2018. He faced a conviction for corruption in 2020, pertaining to the 1Malaysia Development Berhad scandal, noted as one of the most significant cases of money laundering and embezzlement in history.
Bio/Wiki
Age-70 years
Full name-Mohammad Najib bin Tun Haji Abdul Razak
Height- 1.70 m
Weight- 65 kg
Born-23 July 1953
Birthplace-Koala Lipis, Malaysia
Spouse- Rosmah Mansor (m. 1987), Tengku Puteri Zainah Tengku Eskandar (m. 1976–1987)
Profession-Politician, Former Prime Minister of Malaysia
Party-United Malays National Organisation
Nationality- Malaysian
Family
Najib is the eldest son of Abdul Razak, the second prime minister of Malaysia, and Rahah Noah, his mother. He is also the nephew of the third Prime Minister, Hussein Onn. His younger brother, Dato’ Seri Mohd Nazir Abdul Razak, oversees Bumiputra-Commerce Holdings Bhd, the country’s second-largest lender.
Wife
In 1976, Najib had married Tengku Puteri Zainah Tengku Eskandar (Kui Yie). In 1987, he divorced Kui Yie and subsequently married Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor.
Children
With Kui Yie, he has three children: Mohd Nizar Najib (born 1978), Mohd Nazifuddin Najib, and Puteri Norlisa Najib. With Rosmah, he has two children: Mohd Norashman Najib and Nooryana Najwa Najib. Nooryana Najwa Najib is married to the nephew of former Kazakhstani President Nursultan Nazarbayev.
Education
He completed his primary and secondary education at St. John’s Institution in Kuala Lumpur. Later, he pursued his studies at Malvern College in Worcestershire, England, before earning a bachelor’s degree in industrial economics from the University of Nottingham in 1974.
Career
Najib entered the Malaysian Parliament in 1976, at 23, succeeding his late father in the Pekan constituency in Pahang. Simultaneously, he assumed leadership of UMNO Youth’s Pekan branch and joined its Executive Council. Progressing in his political career, he served as a deputy minister in 1976 and later as the Menteri Besar of Pahang from 1982 to 1986. From then until 2009, he held various ministerial roles in the Malaysian Cabinet, covering defense, education, culture, youth and sports, and finally finance. Throughout 1993 to 2009, he held the position of UMNO vice-president.
During his prime ministership from 2009 to 2018, Najib implemented economic liberalization policies, including subsidy cuts, eased restrictions on foreign investment, and reduced preferential measures for ethnic Malays in business. Following the 2013 election, his administration faced criticism for prosecuting dissenters under sedition charges, imprisoning opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim on sodomy charges, and introducing a Goods and Services Tax (GST). Additionally, he navigated challenges such as the Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 tragedy and a diplomatic conflict with North Korea over the assassination of Kim Jong-nam.
In 2015, Najib became embroiled in a major corruption scandal involving the state investment firm 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), triggering public protests demanding his resignation, led by the Bersih movement. These demonstrations peaked with the Malaysian Citizens’ Declaration spearheaded by Mahathir Mohamad, Pakatan Harapan, and various NGOs, seeking Najib’s removal from office.
Najib’s Arrest and Conviction for Corruption
On July 3, 2018, Najib was arrested by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) concerning the investigation into the transfer of RM42 million (US$10.6 million) from SRC International, a company linked to 1MDB, into his bank account. During the investigation, police confiscated numerous fashion accessories worth $273 million from his properties. Subsequently, Najib faced charges and was convicted by the High Court for abuse of power, money laundering, and criminal breach of trust, making him the first Malaysian Prime Minister to be convicted of corruption. He received a 12-year prison sentence and a RM210 million fine. The Federal Court upheld the sentence on August 23, 2022. Currently, he is serving his sentence at Kajang Prison.
Net Worth
Najib’s estimated net worth stands at around $250 million.
Latest News about Najib Razak
Malaysia’s Pardons Board discusses the case of imprisoned former Prime Minister Najib Razak
The Pardons Board, led by the Malaysian King, convened on Jan 29, as disclosed by a Cabinet minister, following reports indicating that the meeting addressed an application from imprisoned former prime minister Najib Razak.
Dr. Zaliha Mustafa, a minister within the Prime Minister’s Department and a member of the Pardons Board, informed journalists on Jan 30 about the gathering at the national palace. However, she refrained from confirming whether Najib’s pardon request was deliberated.Dr. Zaliha advised awaiting the official statement from the Pardons Board regarding the matter.
According to The Edge, the board’s session, reportedly the last official one under King Abdullah Ahmad Shah before Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar takes over this week in the country’s rotating monarchy, included discussions on Najib’s case. The report didn’t specify the timeline for the decision’s announcement.Earlier reports hinted at the board’s potential consideration of Najib’s plea for a pardon concerning his convictions linked to the 1Malaysia Development Berhad scandal.
Najib has exhausted all legal avenues for appeal, leaving a royal pardon from Malaysia’s King as his only potential avenue for release from prison.Requests for comment from Najib’s lawyer and the Malaysian government remained unanswered at the time of reporting.
