IT has been a record of firsts for Najib Razak in his 42-year political career.
In 1976, he made history as the youngest politician at the time to win a parliamentary seat at 23.
He was the first son of a prime minister to become a prime minister himself. He was also the first son of his father, Abdul Razak Hussein.
He is also the first prime minister to lose an election, when Barisan Nasional, which he led, was soundly trounced in the 14th general election on May 9.
And today, Najib makes history again as the first former prime minister to be charged with a crime.
He would also be the highest-ranking former public official ever to be charged.
Najib is also the first Southeast Asian leader to be hauled to court. Philippines president Ferdinand Marcos fled, Thailand’s Thaksin Shinawatra fled while Indonesia’s Suharto stepped down.
The 65-year-old’s spectacular fall from grace started after GE14 when Malaysians elected a coalition which campaigned on a promise to make him pay for his alleged crimes.
But the crimes he allegedly committed were exposed three years ago when The Wall Street Journal, a renowned world business daily, published a story of missing funds from state investor 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) that Najib himself started and helmed.
The WSJ expose of how billions were siphoned off 1MDB from 2010 to 2014 triggered a multi-agency investigation and sparked a national movement to oust Najib.
The expose showed two money trails of stolen funds flowing into Najib’s bank accounts. One trail totalled US$731 million while another was RM42 million.
Najib has until today denied any wrongdoing and insists that the monies were donations.
After the initial 1MDB investigation was scuppered allegedly by members of Najib’s administration, the probes were revived by the new Pakatan Harapan government which came to power after GE14.
This time, prosecutors appear to be focusing first on the RM42 million allegedly stolen from SRC International, a subsidiary of 1MBD, between 2014 and 2015.
At 3pm yesterday, investigators from the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) arrested him at his house in Langgak Duta before taking him to the agency’s headquarters in Putrajaya.
About 8.40pm, prominent Umno lawyer Muhammad Shafee Abdullah was seen entering the MACC building. Shafee had represented Najib in the past on a number of cases.
Today, Najib will be brought to the Kuala Lumpur Court Complex to face charges under the Penal Code, and Anti-Money Laundering and Anti-Terrorism Financing Act.
It was reported that he may face as many as 10 charges and that the prosecution will be led by new Attorney-General Tommy Thomas.
Court proceedings are expected to start at 8.30am. – July 4, 2018.
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