Jailed former prime minister Najib Razak issued a public apology on Thursday for the 1MDB scandal, without fully admitting fault, sparking renewed controversy as the government considers sentencing reforms that may enable his early release.
In a rare statement from prison, Najib said it pains him “every day” to know that the “1MDB debacle” occurred under his watch as prime minister and finance minister.
“For that, I would like to apologise unreservedly to the Malaysian people,” he said.
Najib who served as Malaysia’s prime minister for nine years until his defeat in the 2018 elections, is currently serving a six-year prison sentence after being convicted in one of several corruption cases involving the troubled Malaysian sovereign wealth fund in 2020.
The sentence was commuted by half from the original 12 years by then-king Sultan Abdullah Ahmad Shah in February, an unpopular decision among the public.
Najib has argued that the last king also signed documents to allow him to serve the remainder of his sentence at home.