Malaysia S Courtroom Drama In 2025 Najib Rosmah Dnaa Rulings And More

---

 
Najib's six-year jail term is due to his conviction in the first SRC trial involving RM42 million, and he is due to be released in either 2028 or 2029 depending on whether he pays a RM50 million fine. — Picture by Yusof Mat IsaKUALA LUMPUR, Dec 29 — How many major high profile corruption cases had outcomes this year, and what are the other important criminal cases which the courts decided on?
Here’s a quick recap:
1.    Former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak: DNAA in RM27m SRC case, house arrest bid, 1MDB verdict 
On June 20, the High Court granted Najib a discharge not amounting to acquittal (DNAA) over his second SRC International Sdn Bhd case as proposed by his lawyer, freeing him from all three money-laundering charges related to his receipt of RM27 million in his private bank accounts.
This was because the trial had yet to start since Najib was charged in 2019 and it appeared that it would be postponed further, with the High Court saying that the prosecution could still charge him again over the same offences when it is ready to proceed with trial.
This means the only ongoing criminal case that Najib is still facing is the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) case.
On December 22, the High Court rejected Najib's bid for house arrest, which means he will have to continue serving the rest of his six-year jail term at Kajang Prison.
Najib's six-year jail term is due to his conviction in the first SRC trial involving RM42 million, and he is due to be released in either 2028 or 2029 depending on whether he pays a RM50 million fine. 
On December 26, the High Court found Najib guilty of all four power abuse charges and 21 money laundering charges over 1MDB funds worth more than RM2 billion.
In the 1MDB case, Najib will have to serve a maximum 15 years' jail as all the jail terms are to run concurrently, and was sentenced to a RM11.38 billion fine (with 10 years' jail if fine is unpaid) for the power abuse charges and to pay a penalty of RM2.081 billion (with two years and six months' jail if unpaid) over the money laundering charges. 
The High Court ordered Najib to start serving his 1MDB jail term after he completes his six-year jail term in the RM42 million SRC case.
Najib will be appealing against both his failed house arrest bid and his 1MDB conviction.
2.    Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor: Still fighting corruption conviction but wants judge out first; free from money-laundering charges
Najib’s wife Rosmah was found guilty in September 2022 at the High Court of three corruption charges in relation to a solar project for Sarawak’s schools, but the sentence of 10 years’ jail and a RM970 million fine has not been carried out as she is still appealing this conviction.
Rosmah’s appeal against her conviction in the solar case has yet to be heard, as she is currently pursuing her bid to disqualify the trial judge who found her guilty.
Rosmah on September 17 failed at the Court of Appeal to remove the trial judge from her corruption case, and the Federal Court will hear her appeal to recuse the judge on February 25 next year.
Rosmah now remains free from her separate case involving 17 charges of alleged money laundering by receiving RM7.09 million and failing to make income tax declarations for the same amount, as the prosecution on December 9 dropped its appeal against the High Court’s December 2024 acquittal of her on technical grounds. 
This means that the only criminal case that Rosmah is facing now is the corruption case linked to the solar project. 
3.    Syed Saddiq acquitted, now awaits final verdict
On June 25, the Court of Appeal unanimously acquitted Muar MP Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman of all four charges over alleged criminal breach of trust, misappropriation and money laundering in relation to Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia’s (Bersatu) youth wing’s funds, as it set aside his conviction and sentence of imprisonment, whipping and fine at the High Court.
The Federal Court on December 12 in a rare move asked the prosecution to consider if it wants to maintain or withdraw its appeal against Syed Saddiq’s acquittal, with the prosecution on December 17 then saying it would continue the appeal and would accept any verdict by the court. 
4.    DNAA for ex-navy chief in LCS-linked case
On March 12, the Sessions Court granted a discharge not amounting to acquittal (DNAA) on former navy chief Tan Sri Ahmad Ramli Mohd Nor, as the 81-year-old had been certified by Hospital Kuala Lumpur as mentally unfit to stand trial for the case linked to the littoral combat ship (LCS) project for the navy.
The former Boustead Naval Shipyard Sdn Bhd (BNS) managing director reportedly had a condition akin to moderate mixed dementia, and had been facing three charges of criminal breach of trust via the approval of payments totalling RM21.08 million to three companies between 2010 and 2011.
5.    Six former UPNM students get 18 years’ jail over Navy Cadet Zulfarhan’s death, as Federal Court agrees with High Court
On February 28, the Federal Court unanimously decided to overturn the Court of Appeal’s decision to convict six former Universiti Pertahanan Nasional (UPNM) students of murdering and abetting the murder of their fellow student and Navy Cadet Officer Zulfarhan Osman Zulkarnain in 2017.  
The Federal Court said this was because the murder offence was not proven beyond reasonable doubt in this case, but the evidence was sufficient to convict them of the lesser crime of culpable homicide not amounting to murder and of abetting it.
This means the six would no longer face the death sentence, but would have to serve 18 years’ jail — which was the sentence imposed by the High Court and now restored by the Federal Court.
6.    Who the courts found guilty
•    Ex-army doctor in Kevin Morais murder case
On July 1, the Federal Court upheld the convictions of ex-military pathologist Colonel Dr R. Kunaseegaran and two men, S. Nimalan and S. Ravi Chandran over the 2015 murder of deputy public prosecutor Datuk Anthony Kevin Morais, and acquitted three other men over the murder.
Unlike the two other men whose death sentences were replaced with life imprisonment, Kunaseegaran was sentenced to death as he had withdrawn his appeal against the sentence, but on November 14 later applied for a review of the Federal Court’s decision. 
•    Shelter home Rumah Bonda’s founder Siti Bainun Ahd Razali (12 years’ jail)
On August 14, Siti Bainun lost her final appeal, as the Court of Appeal unanimously upheld a 12-year jail sentence against her over the neglect and abuse of a teenager with Down Syndrome named Bella in 2021. 
•    Sabah’s former state minister Datuk Peter Anthony (Three years’ jail)
On March 4, he lost his final appeal at the Court of Appeal against his conviction, three-year jail sentence and RM50,000 fine for forging a letter in 2014 in connection to a Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) contract.
On August 20, Peter lost again when he failed to get a separate Court of Appeal panel to review the March 4 decision, which means he has no more avenues left to challenge his conviction. 
•    Former Tronoh assemblyman Paul Yong Choo Kiong (Eight years’ jail)
He lost his final appeal on October 1 when the Federal Court unanimously upheld his conviction, eight-year jail term and two strokes of the cane over the 2019 rape of his Indonesian maid, and has since applied for a separate Federal Court panel to review the decision. 
•    Zayn Rayyan’s mother (Five years’ jail)
On October 31, the Sessions Court sentenced Ismanira Abdul Manaf to five years’ jail after finding her guilty of neglecting her six-year-old autistic son Zayn Rayyan Abdul Matin in December 2023 in a manner likely to cause physical harm.
She filed an appeal on November 3. - malaymail

---