PETALING JAYA: A high-profile corruption conviction can hurt a country far beyond the financial losses involved, Deputy National Unity Minister R. Yuneswaran has said, warning that the damage can extend to the nation’s reputation, institutions and future generations.
In a statement issued today titled “How can a high-profile corruption convict damage an entire nation?”, the Segamat MP said the consequences went far beyond the courtroom when someone who had once held the country’s highest office was convicted.
Although the statement did not name anyone, it was issued a day after former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak began serving the remainder of his SRC International sentence under house arrest.
Yuneswaran said a country’s reputation was built on trust, integrity and the rule of law, adding that high-profile corruption cases could undermine the confidence of foreign investors, international institutions and diplomatic partners in its governance.
The effects were also felt domestically, he said. When those entrusted with public power abused their positions, citizens could begin to question the integrity of government institutions, enforcement agencies and the justice system.
He also warned against defending or celebrating corruption simply because the accused had once held power. Such behaviour, he said, risked sending the message that political influence mattered more than accountability.
This, in turn, weakened the rule of law. No one, regardless of wealth, position or connections, should be above the law, Yuneswaran said, adding that selective accountability and attempts to undermine judicial processes could erode the foundations of democracy.
Ultimately, ordinary citizens would bear the cost, as resources meant for education, healthcare, infrastructure and economic development could be diverted from public needs.
Future administrations would also be affected. Instead of focusing fully on development, economic growth and public welfare, they might have to spend years rebuilding institutional credibility and restoring international confidence.
Yuneswaran said political loyalty should never be used to justify corruption. Respecting due process, he added, did not mean abandoning accountability, while upholding the law should not be portrayed as political persecution without evidence.
He said Malaysia deserved leadership that placed the public interest above personal interests, accountability above political protection and national dignity above individual political survival.
No individual, he said, was greater than the nation, and no political legacy was more important than the integrity of its institutions.
Malaysia’s reputation, he added, belonged to all Malaysians and must never become collateral damage in the defence of any individual.
He ended his statement with a pointed question: “All convicted criminals deserve house arrest too?”
Najib was convicted in the SRC International case, with the Federal Court upholding his 12-year prison sentence in 2022. The Pardons Board reduced the sentence to six years and the fine to RM50 million in January 2024.
On Sept 18, the King granted him a conditional pardon allowing him to serve the remainder of his sentence under house arrest until Aug 23, 2028, subject to payment of the fine.
Umno’s solidarity fund paid the RM50 million on Nov 6. The Attorney-General’s Chambers subsequently applied to the High Court to correct the discharge order. On Tuesday, the court ordered that Najib serve the remainder of his sentence at his Taman Duta residence, where he arrived late that night.
The house-arrest arrangement does not cover a separate 15-year prison sentence imposed in December last year in a 1MDB case. That sentence is scheduled to begin after he completes the SRC International sentence, and Najib is appealing against it. He has consistently denied wrongdoing.
The case has also caused friction within the unity government. DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke resigned as Transport Minister on Tuesday, following a pledge he first made in September, although the party’s other ministers remain in the Cabinet.
Last week, the Attorney-General’s Chambers and Najib’s lawyers also clashed over the timing of his transfer to house arrest, while the King warned against defying his pardon.
Yuneswaran, who is from PKR, did not directly refer to the pardon or any specific case in his statement.
