KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia – Malaysia arrested former Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin on Thursday and plans to charge him with graft, according to the country’s anti-corruption agency.
According to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), Muhyiddin was arrested after being questioned about a government-launched economic recovery project.
Muhyiddin, who served as Prime Minister for 17 months between 2020 and 2021, will face charges for abuse of power and money laundering.
Since losing to Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim in a closely contested election in November, the ex-premier and his party have faced graft investigations.
Anwar ordered a review of government projects worth billions of dollars that Muhyiddin had approved, including COVID-19 relief programs, last year, alleging they did not follow proper procedures.
Muhyiddin previously denied the allegations, calling them a political vendetta.
