Malaysia corruption

The Malaysian prime minister is hoping that by tackling one challenge – corruption – he can make inroads into the other two.

The decision comes less than two weeks after the dropping of corruption charges against an ally for Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.

The defection has deprived Anwar Ibrahim's government of its two-thirds parliamentary majority in Parliament.

The dismissal of the case against Deputy PM Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has again called into question Anwar's anti-corruption credentials.

Jasmine Loo, a former lawyer for the ill-fated state investment fund, is a close associate of Jho Taek Low, the alleged ringleader of the 1MDB scandal.

The confirmation, which follows the return of another 1MDB suspect from Macau, is unlikely to result in the fugitive financier's extradition.

The Federal Court rejected Prime Minister Najib Razak's request, with a judge describing him as "the author of his own misfortunes."

The besieged leader has described the charges as a form of “organized political persecution” designed to hobble his party at state elections later this year.

The case is likely to raise the political temperature ahead of a string of important state elections later this year.

The High Court ruling would appear to undermine the claim of the former leader's supporters that the cases against him are politically motivated.

The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission is investigating $70.7 million that was found in the accounts of the political party Bersatu.

Lawyers for Najib Razak have filed a petition with the U.N. Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, claiming "rushed justice."