Ex-Malaysian PM Ismail Sabri Yaakob is a suspect in $212m graft case: Anti-corruption agency

PUTRAJAYA – Former Malaysian prime minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob has been named a suspect in a graft case involving RM700 million (S$212 million) spent on government publicity during his 15-month tenure.

Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) chief Azam Baki announced at a press conference on March 3 that his investigators will call in Datuk Seri Ismail for questioning on March 5.

This comes after the MACC recently

seized RM170 million in local and foreign currencies

, as well as 16kg in gold bars worth RM7 million from a condominium.

“On Feb 10, Datuk Seri Ismail declared his assets. We took his statement on Feb 19. The questioning took four to five hours.

“He is being investigated as a suspect under Section 36 (1) of the MACC Act. We will call him in again this Wednesday to question him regarding the RM177 million (in total) that has been seized,” Tan Sri Azam said.

Mr Ismail, 65, led the country as Malaysia’s ninth prime minister from August 2021 to November 2022.

The MACC had detained four of Mr Ismail’s senior aides on Feb 21, and raided four premises as part of its investigations. The cash and gold bars were found stashed in three safes in one of the premises raided. Some items of jewellery, still to be valued, were also discovered in the raids.

Among the seized currencies found in one of the premises were yen, pounds sterling, euros and dirhams, as well as Singapore, US and Australian dollars.

“Out of the RM170 million, only RM14 million are (in) ringgit,” said Mr Azam, adding that one of the four suspects had rented the house.

At the same time, 13 bank accounts worth RM2 million from the four suspects have also been suspended. However, Mr Azam said Mr Ismail’s bank account and the Keluarga Malaysia Foundation’s bank account are still active.

During Mr Ismail’s time in power, he came up with the Keluarga Malaysia or Malaysian Family concept aimed at inclusiveness. The graft case is linked to money spent on the Keluarga Malaysia promotional campaign.

The MACC has called in around 10 witnesses to give their statements and will summon another seven or eight witnesses in the upcoming weeks.

Mr Azam said the investigation was opened earlier in 2024. The MACC had requested that Mr Ismail declare his assets in November that year.

Mr Azam also denied that the investigation was politically motivated, saying the anti-corruption agency did not receive any instructions from any quarters to conduct the probe into Mr Ismail.

“Do you think this is a politically selective investigation? I don’t think so. We investigate professionally and fairly without looking at someone’s position. There are no instructions from anybody. We acted on our own, based on our own investigation and information,” he said.

Meanwhile, Dr Oh Ei Sun, a senior fellow at the Singapore Institute of International Affairs, told The Straits Times that there could be elements of political prosecution in the probe.

“I think, as with many such high-profile investigations or even prosecutions, it is always a combination of both (reforms and politics).”

He added: “With the advent of technology, it is increasingly difficult to hide such misdeeds (like corruption), and so they would always have some ‘record’ in the hands of investigative agencies.

“So, at a politically opportune time, the powers that be could weaponise those records to strike at their political rivals.”

As reported, Mr Ismail was rushed to hospital after passing out on Feb 22 because of high blood pressure, but was said to be in a stable condition subsequently.