Malaysia's former Prime Minister Najib Razak conceded in High Court on Wednesday that RM42 million ($9.4 million) deposited into his accounts had nothing to do with a Saudi donation, dismantling a defense he maintained for nearly a decade.
"Based on subsequent knowledge, yes," Najib acknowledged under cross-examination by Kwan Will Sen, counsel for state fund SRC International, which is pursuing a civil suit against the former leader. The admission marks a significant shift from Najib's long-standing claim that he believed the funds were a political donation from the Saudi royal family.
The concession comes as Malaysia continues to unravel the 1MDB scandal, a corruption case that stretched across six countries and involved an estimated $4.5 billion in misappropriated funds. Najib is already serving a 12-year prison sentence for criminal charges related to the same RM42 million, but SRC International's 2021 civil suit seeks a formal declaration of liability plus damages for misfeasance.
According to The Sun Malaysia, Justice Datuk Raja Ahmad Mohzanuddin Shah Raja Mohzan is presiding over the civil proceedings, which involve claims by SRC and its subsidiary Gandingan Mentari.
Najib told the court his position had evolved: "At that particular time, I thought it was a Saudi donation," he said, suggesting he now understands the true origin of the funds. The donation defense was rejected at every level of Malaysia's judiciary in the criminal case, and Najib acknowledged that recent High Court verdicts in the broader 1MDB trials found "no documentary evidence" supporting his claim.
For Malaysia, the civil suit represents another chapter in holding accountable those responsible for what the U.S. Department of Justice once called "the largest kleptocracy case" it had ever pursued. The scandal contributed to the stunning 2018 electoral defeat of Najib's UMNO party, ending six decades of uninterrupted rule.
The RM42 million civil case continues, with SRC International seeking not just a declaration of liability but also damages tied to Najib's alleged breach of fiduciary duty. The court proceedings unfold as Malaysia attempts to recover billions lost through 1MDB, with some assets still frozen across jurisdictions from Singapore to Switzerland.
Ten countries, 700 million people, one region - and for those tracking corruption cases across Southeast Asia, this admission signals that even the most powerful can no longer sustain implausible defenses when the evidence closes in.
