Let's hear it for Malaysia. Something unimaginable just a few years ago has transpired. A former prime minister, the scion of a prominent political dynasty who retained a strong grassroots following as a top lawmaker, has been sentenced to prison. His fall is a tonic, however brief, for a country whose politics in recent years have been marred by rancor, cynicism and a revolving door of weak governments.
Najib Razak, who served as premier for almost a decade before being defeated in the 2018 general election, lost his final appeal against corruption convictions for his role in the 1MDB scandal. He will serve a sentence of 12 years -- unless the country's king grants Najib a pardon -- over his role involving the transfer of 42 million ringgit (US$9.4 million, or 339.4 million baht) belonging to SRC International, which was a subsidiary of 1MDB, to his personal bank account.
