Malaysian prosecutors charged a former senior aide to Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim on Thursday, a move that has revived political debate over the government’s promise to curb graft. The Malaysia corruption case Shamsul Iskandar enters court at a sensitive moment for Anwar, who campaigned on restoring public trust after years of political upheaval.
Shamsul Iskandar Mohd Akin, who resigned last week as Anwar’s senior political secretary, was accused of accepting 176,829 ringgit (about $42,960) from businessman Albert Tei in return for help securing mineral mining licences in Sabah, according to court filings seen by Reuters. He entered a plea of not guilty and was released on bail.
His lawyer, Amer Hamzah Arshad, said Shamsul intends to challenge the accusations in full, adding that his client viewed the charges as “an attack”.
Shamsul did not comment publicly following the hearing.
Anwar’s office declined to address the case directly. In a statement issued after Shamsul stepped down last week, the prime minister said he accepted the resignation and stressed that investigators were free to proceed “without any external interference”.
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The case has widened pressure on Anwar’s two-year-old administration. Opposition parties and several civil society groups say the allegations against a figure from the prime minister’s inner circle risk undermining his reform message and weakening confidence in anti-graft bodies.
Anwar entered office in late 2022 after an election that produced no outright winner, eventually forming a unity government. He promised cleaner governance following the lengthy 1MDB saga and a series of corruption cases involving senior officials from previous administrations. While he insists that he remains committed to addressing systemic abuses, critics say progress has been uneven.
Albert Tei, the businessman accused of paying Shamsul, appeared in court on Thursday as well. He pleaded not guilty to bribery and was represented by lawyer Rajesh Nagarajan, according to documents filed in court.
Both men face up to 20 years in prison and significant financial penalties if convicted under Malaysia’s anti-corruption laws.
The trial is expected to draw close attention in the coming months, given the political sensitivities and the broader national conversation about transparency and accountability.
