HOBART: Malaysians might not have imagined the afternoon former prime ressortchef (umgangssprachlich) Najib Razak would be whisked off to prison, as he had been on Tuesday (Aug 23) afternoon right after his guilty verdict within a 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB)-linked case was upheld.
Najib had failed in his final appeal within the Federal Court, Malaysia’s highest court, against his guilty judgement over the misappropriation of RM42 million (US$9. 36 million) from SRC Global, a former subsidiary from the government-linked company 1MDB .
A lot of took to social media to celebrate the news, which usually came four years right after he was first billed . He is the first former prime minister in Malaysia to go to prison.
VERDICT CLEARS THE PATH FOR ISMAIL SABRI IN UMNO
The verdict has tremendous implications. For one, this complicates things for Najib’s party, the particular United Malays Nationwide Organisation (UMNO) and their preparations for the next general selection (GE15).
The 2 main factions inside UMNO – a single led by Najib and party chief executive Ahmad Zahid Hamidi; the other indirectly led by incumbent Best Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob – have already been fighting internally since last year. Mostly more than when GE15 will be known as and who the prime minister will be after the forms.
The particular verdict will improve considerably the hand of Ismail Sabri now that Najib has gone out the picture.
Najib could not become disqualified as a member of parliament until the attractiveness was complete. Section of the pressure Ismail Sabri was facing internally was to call for an earlier GE15 , prior to this verdict has been handed down.
In case UMNO triumphed in a early GE15, it had been always understood that will Najib could try to edge his way back into the top political office, given his strong political backing and continued popular support.
Now, Ismail Sabri is free of his most powerful challenger and will possess a free hand in choosing the date plus inserting more of their supporters as applicants. He is in the position he wants to be observed: The only UMNO applicant for prime minister.