Lawyer dismisses rumours of Malaysia’s Najib settling US$12.3 million fine

🔮 Why Malaysia may still face trade uncertainty after US midterms The Democrats may face stiff opposition from Trump over his tariffs and scrutinise China’s trade partners such as Malaysia, analysts say Trump’s Republicans suffered their worst rout in recent times in the US midterm elections on Tuesday, losing control of both Congress and the Senate by wide margins as voters made clear their anger at Trump over surging living costs caused by the Iran war.

🔮 A return to house arrest for Najib could give his party Umno ‘greater political leverage’ ahead of the next general election, analysts say The rumours came as Najib’s United Malays National Organisation (Umno) seeks to build on recent electoral victories, with analysts saying his return to house arrest could give the party a boost among supporters ahead of the next general election

🔮 National elections are due by February 2028, although Anwar has indicated an earlier vote could be considered.

🔮 The government will publicly release findings on alleged corruption and coerced takeovers involving senior officials within three months Public discontent has been compounded by allegations of a so-called “corporate mafia” involving officers from the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), who were alleged to have coerced stake sales and corporate takeovers.

🔮 Royal row tests Malaysia’s constitutional order What began as a customary dispute over a throne has left an administration purged and a state in legal limbo Observers warn that the months-long constitutional crisis could create ripple effects well beyond the state’s borders, testing the entire nation’s systems of monarchy and government.

🔮 Malaysia budget: Anwar to boost welfare, keep subsidies amid inflation worries The US$112.5 billion budget comes as the Malaysian leader faces pressure to hold an early general election after several state poll defeats 3-MIN READ3-MIN Malaysia’s government will boost spending on social welfare while maintaining subsidies to rein in the cost of living under its 2027 Budget unveiled on Friday, as Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim seeks to shore up public support while under pressure to call for an early general election.

🔮 The scourge of scams and financial crime could become worse with the adoption of agentic AI, which experts say could allow criminals to automate and scale their operations with unprecedented speed.

🔮 Malaysia’s Anwar Ibrahim is expected to roll out a populist budget on Friday aimed at placating voter concerns over the cost of living and access to essential services, experts say, as the prime minister seeks to shore up support ahead of a general election that could be called as soon as next year.

🔮 The ex-prime minister’s legal team also dismisses a ‘stupid question’ about ‘the billions’ donated by the Saudi royal family King Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar last Friday decreed that Najib would be allowed to serve out the remainder of his sentence at home, on condition that he pay his 50 million ringgit (US$10.3 million) fine. The decision triggered widespread outrage among Malaysians over the purported preferential treatment for the corruption-tainted former prime minister and a fundraiser launched by his former ruling Umno party to settle the fine. Najib’s release into house arrest, however, was far from certain as he currently had no means to raise the funds on his own after the authorities froze access to all of his bank accounts, his lawyers said outside the Kuala Lumpur court complex on Friday.

🔮 “A state election will be held within 60 days of the dissolution of the state assembly,” commission chairman Ramlan Harun said in a statement late on Tuesday, adding that the commission would convene a special meeting soon to decide on the date of the election.