Lawyers for former Malaysian prime minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob plan to challenge the validity of an accusation that he failed to declare assets. His counsel, Datuk Amer Hamzah Arshad, said the defence would file an application after receiving and reviewing the complete set of case documents. He said the defence had identified several legal issues and would contest the propriety and legality of the charge.
Deputy public prosecutor Ifa Sirrhu Samsudin told the court that prosecutors had handed over part of the case file: five volumes of documents under Section 36 of Malaysia’s 2009 Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act. The material includes seized documents and some of Ismail Sabri’s asset declarations. Prosecutors asked the court to set a date for delivery of the remaining documents and the witness list. The defence confirmed receipt but said some documents were still outstanding.
Sessions Court judge Suzana Hussin set Dec. 4 for the next mention of the case. Ismail Sabri, 66, is accused of failing to declare cash holdings of 14,772,150 Malaysian ringgit, 6,132,350 Singapore dollars, 1,461,400 ASD, 3,000,000 Swiss francs, 12,164,150 euros, 363,000,000 Japanese yen, 50,250 pounds sterling, 44,600 New Zealand dollars, 34,750,000 UAE dirhams and 352,850 Australian dollars.
The alleged undeclared property also includes five one-kilogram Petak Suisse Fine Gold bars, a 100-gram Petak Suisse Fine Silver bar and a five-gram 999 Fine Gold coin. The asset-declaration notice is dated Jan. 10, 2025. The alleged offence took place on Feb. 7, 2025, at the anti-corruption commission’s headquarters in Putrajaya, according to the charge.
The case is brought under Section 36(2) of the commission’s act, which carries a maximum five-year prison term and a fine of up to 100,000 ringgit upon conviction. The allegations have not been proven in court.