Najib Razak, wife barred from leaving Malaysia

The former PM has been accused of diverting $700 million from a state investment fund in 2015, though authorities have absolved him.

May 12, 2018 12:59 pm | Updated December 01, 2021 06:17 am IST - KUALA LUMPUR:

 In this file photo, Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak and his wife Rosmah Mansor arrive during a gala dinner marking ASEAN’s 50th anniversary in Manila, Philippines. Mr. Razak, who faces charges of corruption, has confirmed that he and his wife have been barred from leaving Malaysia.

In this file photo, Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak and his wife Rosmah Mansor arrive during a gala dinner marking ASEAN’s 50th anniversary in Manila, Philippines. Mr. Razak, who faces charges of corruption, has confirmed that he and his wife have been barred from leaving Malaysia.

Former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak, who was defeated in the recently-held general elections, and his wife Rosmah Mansor have been barred from leaving the country, the immigration department said on Saturday.

Mr. Razak said that he and his family were planning to go on an overseas holiday on Saturday and would return next week following which the immigration department made the announcement via its social site account, BBC reported.

“I was already informed that the immigration department of Malaysia doesn’t allow me and my family to foreign countries. I respect this instruction and will stay in the country with my family,” Mr. Razak tweeted moments later.

Poll debacle

In a historic election earlier this week, Mr. Razak’s Barisan Nasional coalition, which has been in power since Malaysia’s independence in 1957, lost to the Pakatan Harapan coalition led by Mahathir Mohamad, who has taken office as Prime Minister.

Mr. Razak has been accused of diverting $700 million from a state investment fund in 2015, a charge he denies. He has since been cleared by the authorities.

He had faced accusations of corruption and mismanagement over the state investment fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB). 1MDB, set up by Mr. Razak in 2009, was meant to turn Kuala Lumpur into a financial hub and boost the economy through strategic investments.

But it started to attract negative attention in early 2015 after it missed payments for some of the $11 billion it owed to banks and bondholders.

After that, there were reports of around $700 million transferred from the fund to Mr. Razak’s personal bank accounts. He has consistently denied taking money from 1MDB or any public funds.

After being sworn in as new Prime Minister, Mr. Mohamad said he would seek the return of millions of dollars lost in the scandal.

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