PETALING JAYA: In the wake of the latest developments in the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) case, DAP has renewed its call for continued institutional reforms.
Its national chairman Gobind Singh Deo said the verdict must translate into lasting systemic change as Malaysia moves into 2026.
The Digital Minister said the 1MDB scandal was not merely a criminal case but a defining test of the country’s institutions, governance framework and political will.
“The 1MDB case has, for more than a decade, gripped our nation and attracted global attention.
“All eyes were focused on the outcome of this prosecution,” he said in a statement on Sunday (Dec 28).
Gobind said the trial, which spanned about seven years, was conducted with both the prosecution and defence given full opportunity to present their cases.
“The sentence meted out sends a clear signal that offences of this nature are very serious and will not be looked upon lightly,” he said.
He added that since the scandal first emerged, DAP, together with civil society activists and concerned citizens, had pushed persistently for accountability, often at great personal and political cost.
“Some were removed from office and some faced litigation, but many took great pains to protect our country by exposing the scale and magnitude of the problem,” he said.
Gobind said the 1MDB scandal exposed deep systemic weaknesses that allowed abuses of power to persist for years, resulting in unprecedented financial losses and long-term damage to public trust.
While welcoming the court’s ruling as an important step, he stressed that it must form part of a broader reform agenda.
“We must push ahead with our call for reforms as we move into 2026,” the Damansara MP said.
He pointed to steps taken by the Madani government, including amendments to the Audit Act and the Parliamentary Service Act, as well as efforts to separate the roles of the Attorney General and Public Prosecutor.
