Malaysian ex-PM Ismail Sabri’s corruption charges delayed by health woes

A Malaysian court on Friday postponed charges against former Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob, who was hospitalized due to a heart condition and unable to attend his hearing in a multimillion-dollar corruption investigation. Ismail Sabri, 66, has been accused of abuse of power and money laundering following the arrests of a senior aide and several others last February.

The police seized over 170 million ringgit (US$41.5 million) in cash and 16kg (35lbs) of gold ingots from an office believed to be used as a safe house by Ismail Sabri’s aide. His lawyer, Amer Hamzah Arshad, confirmed that the former leader was taken to the hospital the previous day due to a health issue while being questioned by anti-corruption officers.

Amer stated that Ismail Sabri will undergo a pacemaker procedure this afternoon and that the court has agreed to delay the hearing until August 27, when the prosecution is expected to read out charges and record his plea. The charges against Ismail Sabri are yet to be specified. Malaysia has been aggressively investigating corruption since Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim took office in 2022, targeting high-ranking political and business figures.

Ismail Sabri is the second former prime minister to face charges under Anwar’s administration, following Muhyiddin Yassin, who was charged in 2023 with bribery and money laundering. Other prominent figures, including tycoon and former finance minister Daim Zainuddin and his wife Naimah Khalid, have also faced accusations, with the MACC's investigation originating from revelations of their offshore holdings in the 2021 Pandora Papers.