Muhyiddin Yassin said Najib’s trial for alleged misappropriation of RM2.3 billion in funds from 1MDB had yet to end and Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s corruption trial was still going on.

Najib’s 1MDB trial was postponed last week pending developments in his final appeal in the SRC International case today.

Zahid, meanwhile, is facing 47 corruption, criminal breach of trust and money laundering charges.

“I would like to remind (everyone) that today’s Federal Court decision is not the end of the struggle,” Muhyiddin, who was sacked as deputy prime minister in 2015 after speaking out against the 1MDB scandal, said in a Facebook post tonight.

Muhyiddin, who is Bersatu president, also said the Federal Court’s decision had restored the country’s honour and was made possible by an independent judiciary.

He said Malaysia’s democracy would fail and the country would become an autocratic regime, as well as corrupt and morally bankrupt, without an independent judiciary.

“I defended judicial independence when I was the prime minister. Although I was politically pressured to interfere in certain cases, I firmly rejected (the pressure), but I had to resign for defending this principle,” he added.

Muhyiddin had previously claimed that he declined to heed requests from Najib and Zahid for help in their corruption cases as he did not want to interfere with the judiciary. Najib and Zahid have denied the allegation.

On July 28, 2020, Najib was convicted on all seven charges of abuse of power, misappropriation and money laundering involving RM42 million in funds belonging to SRC International.

The former prime minister was sentenced to 12 years’ imprisonment and fined RM210 million.

Earlier today, the apex court affirmed the conviction, a decision which was hailed by the opposition and NGOs.