PRESS STATEMENT
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Exceptional Treatment in Corruption Cases Risks Undermining Public Confidence
18 September 2026
KUALA LUMPUR — Transparency International Malaysia (TI-M) respects the constitutional power of clemency under Article 42 of the Federal Constitution. However, allowing former Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak to serve the remainder of his SRC International sentence under house arrest carries serious implications for Malaysia’s anti-corruption credibility. His conviction involving RM42 million was unanimously upheld by the Federal Court and represents an established finding of criminal liability.
The concern goes beyond one individual. Exceptional treatment of a person convicted in a major corruption case risks reinforcing the perception that those with political influence or status may face different consequences from ordinary offenders. It may also set expectations for similar treatment in future cases involving grand corruption and financial crime, potentially weakening the deterrent effect of Malaysia’s anti-corruption framework.
There are also implications for Malaysia’s international standing. While no single decision determines Malaysia’s Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) score, the CPI draws on assessments by experts and businesspeople of public-sector corruption and the effectiveness of institutions in addressing it. High-profile decisions involving accountability for corruption inevitably contribute to the wider environment in which those perceptions are formed. Malaysia should be strengthening confidence in the integrity of its institutions, not creating further uncertainty over whether accountability is applied consistently.
Malaysia’s anti-corruption credibility will ultimately be judged by whether the principles of accountability, proportionality and equality before the law remain equally strong when those involved are powerful. The country has invested significant effort in strengthening governance and rebuilding institutional confidence. That progress must not be undermined by perceptions of preferential treatment in cases that have come to symbolise Malaysia’s fight against grand corruption.
Dr Raymon Ram
President
Transparency International Malaysia
