Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has finally named former Malaysian Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob as a primary suspect in a corruption case involving a whopping RM700 million. Infamously known as the “turtle egg” man, the ex-backdoor premier had spent the taxpayers’ money as part of his administration’s “Keluarga Malaysia” promotional campaign during his 15-month tenure.
The corruption scandal emerges after the MACC recently seized RM170 million in local and foreign currencies, as well as 16kg in gold bars worth RM7 million from three locations, including a “safe house” condominium. The seized cash included foreign currencies like the Thai Baht, Saudi Riyal, British Pound, Korean Won, Euro, Swiss Franc ,Chinese Yuan, as well as Singapore, US and Australian dollars.
The anti-corruption agency has also frozen 13 bank accounts totalling RM2 million as of March 3. But they do not include the Yayasan Keluarga Malaysia account and Ismail Sabri’s personal bank account, at least not yet. The MACC had detained four of Sabri’s senior aides on February 21, and raided four premises. The former PM is expected to be grilled again regarding the assets confiscated.
The 65-year-old Ismail Sabri was first questioned on Feb 19, after he formally submitted a wealth declaration on Feb 10 as ordered under Section 36(1) of the MACC Act. However, on Feb 22, he was hospitalised after collapsing at home, suspected to be a stroke. The investigation is being carried out under the MACC Act 2009 and the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001.
If Ismail Sabri’s corruption case looks familiar, that’s because it brings back the sweet memory of the confiscation of a similar massive ill-gotten cash, assets and jewelleries from former Prime Minister Najib Razak’s safe houses. The spectacular plundering and embezzlement by the crook was only exposed after the stunning defeats of the Barisan Nasional ruling government in the May 2018 General Election.
On the night of May 17, 2018, police raided three luxury Pavilion Residences condominiums in Kuala Lumpur owned by Najib Razak’s children. Besides RM117 million cash and RM1 billion worth of 12,000 pieces of jewellery, an eye-popping 567 handbags consisted of luxury handbags from 37 different designers – including Chanel, Prada, Hermes and ultra-luxury Bijan – were confiscated.
Less than 2 months later, Najib was finally charged on July 3, 2018 with multiple counts of criminal breach of trust (CBT) and corruption for graft involving transfer of RM42 million from SRC International Sdn Bhd (a subsidiary of 1MDB) to his personal bank account. In August 2022, he was sentenced to 12 years’ jail and a fine of RM210 million after being convicted and lost all his appeal.
So, both crooks – Ismail Sabri and Najib Razak – used the same modus operandi to steal money. One used “Keluarga Malaysia” whilst another used “1MDB”. Ismail hid RM170 million cash whilst Najib hid RM117 million cash, included foreign currencies. Both so-called Malay defenders also had in their possession ill-gotten jewelleries, although Ismail was no match to Najib’s 12,000 pieces.
Of course, after Najib idiotically stashed his stolen treasure in his own children’s luxury apartment located in the posh address, subsequent corrupt leaders were careful to use proxies or trusted assistants to rent apartments as safe houses to keep their dirty money and valuables. The other difference is Mahathir took just 2 months to seize dirty money and charge Najib, whereas Anwar takes more than 2 years to do so on Ismail.
However, it’s still a magnificent achievement for Ismail Sabri to steal RM170 million from his RM700 million pet project in just 15 months. Najib, serving 9 years as PM (2009-2018), had left the country in huge debt to the tune of RM53 billion till today – his 1MDB scandal saw at least US$4.5 billion stolen, which also involved wife Rosmah Mansor and step-son Riza Aziz, as well as spanning to at least 6 countries.
Don’t bet your money that Sabri will go to jail though. If crooked Najib’s “gold standard” is any indicator, not only 9th Prime Minister Sabri won’t join 6th Prime Minister Najib in prison, the former might even get back all his cash. If Najib could get back all his forfeited cash, it’s even harder for the current incompetent Attorney General’s Chambers (AGC) to link the RM170 million cash to Sabri.
Despite all the evidence, the prosecution had failed – either deliberately or incompetently – to prove that the money seized from Najib’s luxury condominiums was obtained from illegal activities back in 2021. Likewise, it will be an uphill task to prove that Ismail Sabri’s trusted aides were keeping the RM170 million on his behalf, let alone to prove that the money had been obtained illegally.
Even if Sabri’s aides betray and implicate him, he can still claim that the money was leftover “donations” from the last national election, the same way Najib sold his fairy tales. And in the unfortunate event that he is convicted for corruption and money laundering, it will take about four more years to sentence him to jail, assuming he loses all his appeals like his former boss Najib.
Royal pardon to slash jail term and royal addendum for house detention to serve remaining “discounted jail sentence” will greet Ismail Sabri even if he becomes the second former prime minister to be imprisoned – thanks to former Agong (King) Sultan Abdullah and PM Anwar Ibrahim, who had set a beautiful precedent after accorded special privileges to Najib.
Yes, this is just a political drama by Anwar, knowing very well that his predecessor won’t go to jail. The PM, whose government had basically thrown out all corruption charges against “allies and friends” such as Najib Razak, Rosmah Manson, Riza Aziz and Zahid Hamidi, but instead targeting enemies like Mahathir Mohamad, Daim Zainuddin, Muhyiddin Yassin and Ismail Sabri, desperately needs to show he is anti-corruption.
Obviously, it would be a political suicide for Mr Anwar not to “forgive and pardon” a relatively small crook like Ismail after all the rewards given to the world’s biggest crook Najib (who was also caught with US$681 million in his private bank accounts). After scolding and cursing all critics who disagreed with the monarch and his government’s decision to free Najib, how could a good Malay-Muslim like Anwar show zero compassion for Ismail by refusing to also forgive him?
Due to the growing dissatisfaction and displeasure over his weak and double-standard leadership, the prime minister hopes (and endorses) the move to target Sabri could hoodwink voters and international community that his government is still committed to combat corruption. But to show he’s a good Muslim, a compassionate Anwar is not likely to send fellow elite Malay leader Ismail, who is plagued with health problems, to prison.
With escalating cost of living, stubbornly low Ringgit currency, rising racism and extremism, Corruption Perception Index remained unchanged at 50 points in 2024, and whatnot, Anwar also badly needed a distraction. As Muhyiddin corruption case is moving at a snail’s pace, Ismail Sabri’s corruption provides the much needed high-profile investigation, even though it screams political persecution.
Exactly how the former premier was involved in the RM700 million corruption scandal is equally interesting. From the beginning, Ismail Sabri was not a prime minister material. He was lucky to be at the right place at the right time. After Muhyiddin Yassin, who became the country’s first backdoor prime minister by betraying his own Pakatan Harapan government, stunningly lost power after just 17 months, there was a need to keep the gravy train moving.
Traitor Muhyiddin lost power after he was betrayed by none other than his own ally in the previous Perikatan Nasional government – United Malays National Organization (UMNO). As the biggest of the three Malay political parties in the coalition, which comprised UMNO, Bersatu and PAS Islamist party, someone from UMNO had to be chosen by the power-hungry Bersatu and PAS in order to stay in power.
Ismail Sabri, formerly vice president of UMNO, was third in line, but since UMNO president Zahid Hamidi was facing corruption charges and UMNO deputy president Mohamad Hasan was not an MP, the turtle-egg man got the job. But the strategic decision to endorse Sabri was largely because he was incompetent and lame, therefore, an excellent puppet since he supported rival Bersatu-PAS more than his own party.
To keep the gravy train moving and the money rolling uninterrupted, the dubious “Keluarga Malaysia” (which means “Malaysian family”) promotional campaign was hatched. It encouraged Malaysians to work together to combat the Covid-19 pandemic and achieve shared prosperity, which turned out to be a marketing gimmick to loot from the national coffers.
More importantly, the massive RM700 million was crucial for Bersatu and PAS to spend lavishly during the November 2022 General Election, which they lost anyway. But the stash of RM170 million seized by the MACC is merely leftover of what had been spent by the opposition Perikatan Nasional after the six state elections in August 2023, which means the actual money stolen was more than that.
After Sabri has been identified as the suspect, the next corrupt leader who is trembling in fear is Annuar Musa, who served as the Minister of Communications and Multimedia under Sabri from August 2021 to the collapse of the government in November 2022. Former UMNO warlord Annuar has since joined the racist and radical PAS Islamist party in June 2023.
As the minister in charge of Sabri’s “Keluarga Malaysia” publicity campaign, it’s not rocket science that Annuar Musa’s hands were also in the cookie jar. Between Ismail and Annuar, there will be less compassion for the UMNO traitor than Sabri. But the fact remains that every past, present and future prime ministers are corrupted, from Mahathir Mohamad, Abdullah Badawi, Najib Razak, and Muhyiddin Yassin to Ismail Sabri.
Only time will tell if Anwar’s “Malaysia Madani” or “Civil Malaysia” – the replacement of Ismail’s “Keluarga Malaysia”, is also another marketing gimmick to enrich the political elites, the same way slogan business was booming under Badawi’s “Islam Hadhari”, Najib’s “1Malaysia” and Muhyiddin’s “Kerajaan Prihatin”. Now you know why Bersatu has been quiet despite their accounts being frozen. The opposition still has tonnes of safe houses, including Azmin Ali’s.
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March 4th, 2025 by financetwitter
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Wahlau, even Ambiga-sanctified politician has his snout pigging in the corruption trough! Just what’s wrong with Bolehland politicians, eh?
I would say nothing, actually.
Very normal.
It’s even wallowing, swimming and rolling in the filth of corruption that’s the hallmark of Bolehland politician. If it is not such hallowed, almost religious activities, no Bolehland politician would be interested in pretending to serve the nation – or even those of specific race and religion, Amin.
At this point wan cannot say Sleepy-eyed Sabri is corrupt and a thief. He could have just fallen into the pigging trough.
Don’t know if it is his usual pile of bullock shiite, Ayatollah Anwar used to be very fond of sermonising his parable of how his grandma discovered he had helped himself to a couple of fruits from someone’s or no-man’s land, the yarn goes his grandma made him go and return the haul, such is the integrity and honesty of the MacMullah of MacDani.
The Ayatollah should go all out to investigate Sleepy-eyed’case, in fact, all the possible cases of all the politicians. We have yet to hear the end of the multitude of charges the wonder with more charges than a court could handle for a lifetime, the Javanese pendatang halal ham idi. Until his case has been thoroughly picked through, there should be not a chance he should be a deputy PM.
But with Ayatollah Anwar and the boleh of Bolehland, anything is boleh, all ham dulilah! We are still going slo-mo through the corruption of the Snake Pharaoh M for Memali Massacre Monster and his children. His children, like the majority of the denizens of Bolehland are mere thick lacklustre wide-between-the-ears wonders, how come they can all be fabulously rich, each with hundreds of companies all with unusual access to riches?!
The investigation on the Snake Pharaoh will never be finished, at least not within the remaining years that the Kerala Krait has. There appears to be no real intention to get to the bottom of the investigation which will see more facing charges and even incarceration.
To be fair the MacMullah of MacDani should also be investigated, like any politician, he seems rather loaded for someone who gave up his pay, that looks good, but all the same, the Ayatollah should be closely scrutinised, it being that all Bolehland politicians are suspicious.
The late RPK was very fond of saying the Malays are corrupted by the Chinese, they make the Malays “do it”. Well, investigate the Chinese too, why not? Everyone, Chinese or not should be subject to endless loops of the Ayatollah’s grandma story, tied up for days in front of a tape recorder. Remember Noriega surrendered and left his hideout when he was subjected to endless replay of music he couldn’t stand.
I would suggest, too, playing recordings of the Ayatollah’s grand speeches and him talking about him, he, and himself. I would expect surrenders to come hard and fast with anyone normal. And even anyone Bolehlander.
Sleepy-eyed Sabri seems unusually rich too, he does have the stuff to flaunt. Though I should say that Burberry shirt doesn’t suit his honest granddad image. Would be better he returns it to the shop or returns it to his son. Except for those fcuking clueless foreigners with more stolen money than taste, few of those who are savvy about dress sense wears anything Burberry, that’s for the Japs and colonial niggahs who still swear by fcuking Marmite and Brand’s essence of chicken.
Come to think of it, that watch doesn’t look right either, kind of only makes the wearer look only second-level Ali Baba the faulty thief… The clowns in PAS are better, at least they read their scriptures deep enough to go for the higher-end Mercs, all ham dulilah!
000Please be aware I don’t condone theft, I only make some comments because the bad taste of our kampong thieves really stand out like a deadly wasp on the dcik! Even worse when our thief politicians are even more clueless how to go about running the country, wtf! Audemars Piguet, my holy ass, better steal one of those Swatch watch stolen by our religious fanatics!
Btw, have all those watches in the Ah Jib Watch Museum been returned to him? Nothing better than spending the day under house arrest winding up and polishing the watches..!