Former Malaysian PM Muhyiddin Yassin Arrested in Corruption Connection

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Former Malaysian prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin was arrested by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission after being questioned on Thursday (9/3/2023). Photo/REUTERS/Hasnoor Hussain

KUALA LUMPUR – Malaysia’s former prime minister (PM) Muhyiddin Yassin has been arrested by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), Thursday (9/3/2023). He was arrested after being questioned in connection with a corruption case.

Muhyiddin was the prime minister of Malaysia when the country was in lockdown due to Covid-19.

MACC said in a statement late on Thursday that Muhyiddin was arrested after he was questioned over an economic recovery project launched by his government.

Muhyiddin (75) voluntarily attended a hearing at MACC on Thursday morning over allegations that a building contractor deposited money into the account of his party, the Bersatu Party, in exchange for contracts during the pandemic.

MACC head Azam Baki told Bernama news agency that the former PM will appear in court on Friday.

Muhyiddin has denied corruption allegations and says he is the target of political revenge.

A number of other Bersatu Party politicians have been questioned over the allegations and two of them have been charged.

Muhyiddin will be the country’s second leader to be indicted on corruption charges after stepping down.

Former PM Najib Razak has been hit by multiple corruption charges after he lost power in the 2018 general election. He began serving a 12-year prison sentence in August 2022 after losing his final appeal in the first of several trials.