Malaysia's former prime minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob pleaded not guilty on Thursday, August 27, to a charge of failing to make a complete declaration of assets to the country's anti-corruption agency. The 66-year-old appeared before Judge Suzana Hussin at the Sessions Court in Kuala Lumpur, according to the Associated Press, Bernama and The Star.
The charge alleges that Ismail intentionally submitted a written statement that did not comply with a notice issued under Malaysia's anti-corruption law on January 7, 2025. Authorities served the notice three days later and required him to identify specified holdings. Prosecutors allege that the offence occurred at the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission headquarters in Putrajaya on February 7, 2025.
Bernama reported that the charge lists 14.77 million ringgit in cash, substantial sums in nine foreign currencies and five gold bars. The foreign amounts include 6.13 million Singapore dollars, 1.46 million US dollars, 3 million Swiss francs, 12.16 million euros, 363 million yen and 34.75 million Emirati dirhams, alongside smaller holdings in British, New Zealand and Australian currencies. The allegation concerns disclosure of the assets and does not itself establish their unlawful origin.
Judge Suzana set bail at 300,000 ringgit with a family member acting as surety. She rejected a prosecution request to surrender Ismail's passport, finding no evidence that he posed a flight risk. Defense lawyer Amer Hamzah Arshad said his client would contest the accusation and clear his name. The court scheduled the case for mention on September 29, when prosecutors are expected to provide further details to the defense.
A conviction under the cited provision could bring up to five years in prison and a fine of as much as 100,000 ringgit. Proceedings had initially been planned for August 7 but were postponed after Ismail entered the National Heart Institute with a heart condition and underwent a pacemaker procedure, AP and Bernama reported. He remains presumed innocent unless the court finds him guilty.
Ismail served as Malaysia's ninth prime minister from August 2021 until November 2022, a 15-month tenure that made him the country's shortest-serving leader. AP and CNA reported that he is the third former Malaysian premier in recent years to face criminal proceedings linked to alleged graft-related conduct, after Najib Razak and Muhyiddin Yassin. The case adds another high-profile test for Malaysia's institutions as the court process moves toward its next hearing.
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