Overview
- On Thursday, former prime minister Ismail Sabri pleaded not guilty at Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court and was released on 300,000 ringgit bail while the court refused to order passport confiscation.
- Prosecutors filed the charge under Section 36(2) of the MACC Act, alleging his asset declaration omitted holdings worth close to US$40 million in multiple currencies and several gold bars.
- The charge follows March 2025 raids that seized about 170 million ringgit in cash and roughly 16 kilograms of gold during a wider probe into roughly RM700 million spent on the 'Keluarga Malaysia' publicity campaign.
- His scheduled Aug 7 court appearance was delayed after he underwent a pacemaker procedure at the National Heart Institute, and his lawyers say they will challenge aspects of the charge.
- The case makes Ismail Sabri the third recent former prime minister facing criminal proceedings and could shape public views of Malaysia's anti‑corruption drive as the trial proceeds and the next hearing on Sept 29 approaches.