It was a brutal day in court for former Malaysian prime minister Najib Razak yesterday. It began with his counsel calling for the Chief Justice, Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat, to recuse herself from leading the Federal Court in considering Najib’s final appeal against his conviction in a 1MDB-linked corruption case.
Overnight Najib had filed an affidavit stating, among other things, that because the Chief Justice’s husband had posted on Facebook that “he was happy that Najib had been dethroned” after the Barisan Nasional government that Najib led lost the 2018 general election, “it is likely that he would have influenced the thinking of the mind of the chairperson as to my alleged culpability".
The five judges considered the application, but rejected it. At about 3pm local time, the Chief Justice called for the final decision to be delivered. Speaking from the dock, Najib complained that he had not been accorded a fair trial. “The might of the judiciary is pinned against me in a most unfair manner,” he said. But as he was speaking a leaked copy of the judgement had already been circulating online (the court later said it was a draft that had been modified). And shortly before 4.30pm, the Chief Justice announced that Najib’s appeals were “unanimously dismissed and the conviction and sentence are affirmed". That means a fine of 210 million ringgit ($47m) for Najib, 12 years in jail, and the loss of his parliamentary seat at the next general election.
It had been looking bleak for Najib for some weeks. The courts had declined his request to bring in a British barrister to defend him, refused to postpone proceedings to allow his new team of lawyers to prepare, and would not allow him to cite new evidence. “I’m avoiding reading the news to avoid breaking my heart,” one of his former aides messaged me over the weekend. Expected as it might have been, the decision, when it came, was still a hammer blow for Najib’s supporters.
Since I have met only one of the five federal court judges, Nallini Pathmanathan, and found her a highly impressive person of palpable probity, I make no comment on the judicial process that led to this decision. I would point out, however, the significance of the fact that until recently, the solicitors representing Najib were led by Zaid Ibrahim. A former law minister who cut short a successful political career by resigning on a point of principle in 2008, and previously a vocal critic of Najib, Mr Zaid has long been one of the most fiercely independent voices in Malaysian public life. He is a man of the utmost integrity and would not have stood alongside Najib unless he believed strongly in his case.
Najib’s defenders also have a point when they say that this is a selective prosecution. This current trial began in July 2018, not long after the Pakatan Harapan government led by Dr Mahathir Mohamad came to power. Before that election, Dr Mahathir called Najib a “crook” and a “tyrant” and made it plain he wanted Najib in jail. But this, and the other cases pending, would not have been brought by the Attorney General – who is a political appointee – if Najib was still prime minister, and it seems highly unlikely that they would have been under the current Prime Minister, Ismail Sabri, who was a member of Najib’s cabinet and is vice president of the party Najib once led.
Nevertheless, Najib’s opponents will be jubilant at the news. For his admirers, it is devastating that a man they considered to be gracious, warm and witty, and who is genuinely loved by the people who mob him whenever he is out campaigning, is heading for prison.
The former prime minister is down. It may be the lowest moment in his life for a man who once golfed with presidents and wowed the world with his call for a Global Movement of Moderates at the UN General Assembly in 2010. But don’t count him out.
Firstly, freed from the trappings and formality of office, Najib became the most popular politician in Malaysia on social media, with more than 4 million followers on Facebook. With his post-election, down-to-earth “Bossku” (our boss) image, many saw the man previously only known to those who met him in person, and videos have circulated of strangers who couldn’t stop hugging Najib when he visited towns and villages. Jailing him may make Najib a martyr to his base.
Secondly, Mr Ismail may belong to the same party as Najib, but he relies on the support of MPs who were previously part of the Pakatan Harapan government. If an election is held this year – and Mr Ismail has just hinted that it may – the Barisan Nasional to which they both belong will stand on its own. After successes in state elections over the past few months, the Barisan Nasional has a good prospect of winning outright, or in combination with parties that were long-time allies in the past.
In that case, there will be strong, maybe irresistible, calls for Najib to be given a royal pardon. Constitutionally, that should be a formality following a request by the prime minister, and the current king in Malaysia’s rotational monarchy is the Sultan of Pahang. Najib is a hereditary nobleman at Sultan Abdullah’s court and the two are on very friendly terms and often pictured together.
And then, just as the one-time deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim returned to parliament via a by-election after he was pardoned in 2018, Najib would be able to do the same. In that scenario, it is by no means inconceivable that he could become prime minister again. It is hard to think of anyone who could be sure of defeating him if he stood for the presidency of his party, and his desire to be vindicated will only have grown after suffering incarceration.
I have seen Najib’s resilience in the face of adversity first-hand. He will need it now as never before. But he has a good chance of fighting another day, and as for leading his country once again? Many would be delighted if he did.
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
MATCH INFO
Confederations Cup Group B
Germany v Chile
Kick-off: Thursday, 10pm (UAE)
Where: Kazan Arena, Kazan
Watch live: Abu Dhabi Sports HD
ICC Awards for 2021
MEN
Cricketer of the Year – Shaheen Afridi (Pakistan)
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WOMEN
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ODI Cricketer of the Year – Lizelle Lee (South Africa)
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Results
1. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) 1hr 32mins 03.897sec
2. Max Verstappen (Red Bull-Honda) at 0.745s
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4. Lando Norris (McLaren) 46.466s
5.Sergio Perez (Red Bull-Honda) 52.047s
6. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) 59.090s
7. Daniel Ricciardo (McLaren) 1:06.004
8. Carlos Sainz Jr (Ferrari) 1:07.100
9. Yuki Tsunoda (AlphaTauri-Honda) 1:25.692
10. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin-Mercedes) 1:26.713,
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Milestones on the road to union
1970
October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar.
December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.
1971
March 1: Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.
July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.
July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.
August 6: The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.
August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.
September 3: Qatar becomes independent.
November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.
November 29: At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.
November 30: Despite a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa.
November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties
December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.
December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The bio
His favourite book - 1984 by George Orwell
His favourite quote - 'If you think education is expensive, try ignorance' by Derek Bok, Former President of Harvard
Favourite place to travel to - Peloponnese, Southern Greece
Favourite movie - The Last Emperor
Favourite personality from history - Alexander the Great
Role Model - My father, Yiannis Davos
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Email sent to Uber team from chief executive Dara Khosrowshahi
From: Dara
To: Team@
Date: March 25, 2019 at 11:45pm PT
Subj: Accelerating in the Middle East
Five years ago, Uber launched in the Middle East. It was the start of an incredible journey, with millions of riders and drivers finding new ways to move and work in a dynamic region that’s become so important to Uber. Now Pakistan is one of our fastest-growing markets in the world, women are driving with Uber across Saudi Arabia, and we chose Cairo to launch our first Uber Bus product late last year.
Today we are taking the next step in this journey—well, it’s more like a leap, and a big one: in a few minutes, we’ll announce that we’ve agreed to acquire Careem. Importantly, we intend to operate Careem independently, under the leadership of co-founder and current CEO Mudassir Sheikha. I’ve gotten to know both co-founders, Mudassir and Magnus Olsson, and what they have built is truly extraordinary. They are first-class entrepreneurs who share our platform vision and, like us, have launched a wide range of products—from digital payments to food delivery—to serve consumers.
I expect many of you will ask how we arrived at this structure, meaning allowing Careem to maintain an independent brand and operate separately. After careful consideration, we decided that this framework has the advantage of letting us build new products and try new ideas across not one, but two, strong brands, with strong operators within each. Over time, by integrating parts of our networks, we can operate more efficiently, achieve even lower wait times, expand new products like high-capacity vehicles and payments, and quicken the already remarkable pace of innovation in the region.
This acquisition is subject to regulatory approval in various countries, which we don’t expect before Q1 2020. Until then, nothing changes. And since both companies will continue to largely operate separately after the acquisition, very little will change in either teams’ day-to-day operations post-close. Today’s news is a testament to the incredible business our team has worked so hard to build.
It’s a great day for the Middle East, for the region’s thriving tech sector, for Careem, and for Uber.
Uber on,
Dara
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Results:
Men's wheelchair 800m T34: 1. Walid Ktila (TUN) 1.44.79; 2. Mohammed Al Hammadi (UAE) 1.45.88; 3. Isaac Towers (GBR) 1.46.46.
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
AVOID SCAMMERS: TIPS FROM EMIRATES NBD
1. Never respond to e-mails, calls or messages asking for account, card or internet banking details
2. Never store a card PIN (personal identification number) in your mobile or in your wallet
3. Ensure online shopping websites are secure and verified before providing card details
4. Change passwords periodically as a precautionary measure
5. Never share authentication data such as passwords, card PINs and OTPs (one-time passwords) with third parties
6. Track bank notifications regarding transaction discrepancies
7. Report lost or stolen debit and credit cards immediately
The Buckingham Murders
Starring: Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ash Tandon, Prabhleen Sandhu
Director: Hansal Mehta
Rating: 4 / 5
THE BIO
Family: I have three siblings, one older brother (age 25) and two younger sisters, 20 and 13
Favourite book: Asking for my favourite book has to be one of the hardest questions. However a current favourite would be Sidewalk by Mitchell Duneier
Favourite place to travel to: Any walkable city. I also love nature and wildlife
What do you love eating or cooking: I’m constantly in the kitchen. Ever since I changed the way I eat I enjoy choosing and creating what goes into my body. However, nothing can top home cooked food from my parents.
Favorite place to go in the UAE: A quiet beach.
'Ashkal'
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Results
Stage three:
1. Stefan Bissegger (SUI) EF Education-EasyPost, in 9-43
2. Filippo Ganna (ITA) Ineos Grenadiers, at 7s
3. Tom Dumoulin (NED) Jumbo-Visma, at 14s
4. Tadej Pogacar (SLO) UAE-Team Emirates, at 18s
5. Joao Almeida (POR) UAE-Team Emirates, at 22s
6. Mikkel Bjerg (DEN) UAE-Team Emirates, at 24s
General Classification:
1. Stefan Bissegger (SUI) EF Education-EasyPost, in 9-13-02
2. Filippo Ganna (ITA) Ineos Grenadiers, at 7s
3. Jasper Philipsen (BEL) Alpecin Fenix, at 12s
4. Tom Dumoulin (NED) Jumbo-Visma, at 14s
5. Tadej Pogacar (SLO) UAE-Team Emirates, at 18s
6. Joao Almeida (POR) UAE-Team Emirates, at 22s
HOW TO WATCH
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'Top Gun: Maverick'
Rating: 4/5
Directed by: Joseph Kosinski
Starring: Tom Cruise, Val Kilmer, Jennifer Connelly, Jon Hamm, Miles Teller, Glen Powell, Ed Harris
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
Racecard
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