KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 27: Former Malaysian prime minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob was on Thursday charged with failing to declare his assets, becoming the third former Malaysian premier to face criminal charges after leaving office.
The 66-year-old pleaded not guilty to the charge under the country’s anti-graft law. Prosecutors alleged that he failed to submit a complete declaration of assets following a notice issued by the anti-corruption agency in January 2025.
The charge sheet reportedly includes large sums of Malaysian and foreign currency, along with gold and silver. If convicted, Ismail could face up to five years in prison and a fine of up to 100,000 ringgit (about USD 24,810).
Ismail, Malaysia’s ninth prime minister, served from August 2021 to November 2022, becoming the country’s shortest-serving premier.
After leaving office, he was questioned several times by anti-graft officials over alleged misconduct involving government publicity spending. Authorities have also seized gold bars and around USD 40 million in cash from properties linked to him.
His indictment follows criminal proceedings against his predecessors Najib Razak and Muhyiddin Yassin. Najib is serving a prison sentence over corruption linked to the 1MDB scandal, while Muhyiddin is facing corruption and money-laundering charges.
