In 2015, Malaysia was rocked by the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) scandal, a massive corruption case involving the state-owned investment fund. The revelations sent shockwaves across the country and the world when it emerged that billions of dollars—an estimated RM 20.1 billion (about $4.5 billion)—intended for national development had instead been siphoned off to finance luxury goods, lavish lifestyles, high-profile global investments, and even Hollywood films. The embezzlement relied on an elaborate web of shell companies, bankers, and intermediaries stretching from Kuala Lumpur to New York, Zurich, and Abu Dhabi.
At the heart of the scandal stood Datuk Seri Najib Razak, Malaysia's then-Prime Minister and Finance Minister, who had launched the fund with promises of modernization. Instead of ushering in a new era of prosperity, he would instead become the first Malaysian leader ever tried for corruption.
A decade on, the fallout
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