BFM 89.9

HIGHLIGHTS 
Podcast  >  Bigger Picture  >  Beyond The Ballot Box  >  Is the Government Going Too Soft on Najib?

Is the Government Going Too Soft on Najib?

Pushpan Murugiah, CEO, Centre to Combat Corruption and Cronyism (C4)

04-Feb-25 15:00

Is the Government Going Too Soft on Najib?

In an interview with the Financial Times, when asked about the reduced prison sentence for former Prime Minister Najib Razak, current Prime Minister Dato Seri Anwar Ibrahim said that he does not wish for Najib to suffer in “hell” as he once did. This is of course amidst ongoing conversations on the possibility that Najib could be granted house arrest for the rest of his sentence, although it has to be said that such laws do not yet exist in Malaysia. 

In response to that, the Center to Combat Corruption and Cronyism released a statement recently saying “enough is enough! Why has the tone of the Madani government been so sympathetic to Najib Razak? Have they forgotten the sheer scale of his crimes?”

So, has the MADANI government, led by Prime Minister Anwar, forgotten its reformist roots or is it just smart and meticulous politicking to manage the political climate and maintain stability? 

We speak to Pushpan Murugiah, who’s the CEO of Centre to Combat Corruption and Cronyism (C4). 


In this episode,we discuss:

  • The framing of Najib's reduced sentence as a human rights issue.

  • The political challenges faced by the MADANI government. How to strike a balance between navigating a large coalition of varying interests and being steadfast in executing the anti-corruption agenda.

  • Why the Prime Minister and his team must communicate with the people in a more transparent way.

  • Does Malaysia need a 1977 Hong Kong-style Amnesty? In 1977, Hong Kong’s newly established ICAC granted amnesty for past corruption to quell police resistance, allowing strict anti-corruption enforcement moving forward.

  • The three key areas of reform the government must implement.

Produced by: Dashran Yohan

Presented by: Dashran Yohan


This and more than 60,000 other podcasts in your hand. Download the all new BFM mobile app.

Categories:  politics,  government,  corruption

Tags:  corruption,  anti-corruption,  anwar ibrahim,  najib razak,  1mdb,  src,  madani,  attorney-general’s chambers,  public prosecutor,  reformasi,  institutional reform, 


Latest Podcasts




Play / Pause

Listen now : The Property Show: (REPEAT) Dr. Tan Loke Mun, Principal of DrTanLM Architect,...

Today’s Shows



11:00 AM

Best of Enterprise

(REPEAT) Sharmini Ann Jacob from KPMG Malaysia talks about turning national workforce priorities into real organisational capability, in the age of AI.

12:00 PM

Just For Kicks

(REPEAT) We look back at the semi final matches of the Carabao Cup that saw Arsenal and Man City booking their places in the final, and look ahead to Matchweek 25 of the EPL!

1:00 PM

A Bit of Culture

(REPEAT) Kam, Zan Azlee and Hafiz Noor Shams sit down together to talk about EPF retirement fund, James Brooke and the collapsing prestige of the west.

2:00 PM

Ringgit & Sense

(REPEAT) Ian Wong, Founder & CEO of Uno Advisers and licensed financial planner, shares the financial mistakes you don’t want to make in 2026.

2:30 PM

The Property Show

(REPEAT) Dr. Tan Loke Mun, Principal of DrTanLM Architect, assesses KL's River of Life project 15 years on.

3:00 PM

Best of The Bigger Picture

(REPEAT) What do the Epstein files teach us about power? To try and make sense of it all, we speak to Peter Beattie, Political Economist and Political Psychologist from the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK)

4:00 PM

Best of Evening Edition

(REPEAT) With the launch of the Education Plan 2026–2035, we examine whether it can realistically deliver on the country’s ambitions as the government maps out its next decade-long direction for the education system.

5:00 PM

BBC World Service

This special episode of The Life Scientific features Dr. Eleanor Schofield, talking about her work conserving centuries-old wood and metal.