Former Malaysian PM Ismail Sabri Yaakob charged with failing to declare assets

Ismail Sabri Yaakob, who led Malaysia as prime minister from August 2021 to November 2022, has been formally charged with failing to declare his assets under the nation's anti-corruption legislation.

The 66-year-old pleaded not guilty to the charge, brought under Section 36(2) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act, at the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court. His trial is scheduled to proceed.

If convicted, Yaakob faces a potential prison sentence of up to five years and a fine of RM100,000, approximately US$24,800. This legal challenge comes amidst ongoing corruption and money laundering allegations that have centered on the former prime minister.

Yaakob has been questioned multiple times by the MACC over the past year, with the agency concluding its probe in June 2025. He was previously named a suspect in a corruption investigation involving RM700 million in government funds, allegedly spent during his administration's "Keluarga Malaysia" (Malaysian Family) campaign. The MACC seized significant assets, including cash, gold bars, jewelry, and luxury watches, from locations believed to be used as safe houses. Four of Yaakob's former officers were also arrested in connection with this investigation.

Ismail Sabri Yaakob is the third former Malaysian prime minister to face a corruption probe, following Najib Razak and Muhyiddin Yassin. His tenure as prime minister was the shortest in the country's history.