Former Malaysia PM Ismail Sabri’s court date delayed after hospitalisation; trial timing questioned

KUALA LUMPUR – Former Malaysian prime minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob’s was initially set to be charged in court on Aug 7 over a case involving declaration of assets, making him the latest top political figure to come under legal scrutiny.

However, the hearing has now been adjourned to Aug 27 after Ismail Sabri was admitted to hospital ahead of his scheduled court appearance, delaying a prosecution that puts Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s reform agenda back into the spotlight.

​High Court judge Suzana Hussin granted the adjournment on Aug 7 after Ismail Sabri’s lawyer, Amer Hamzah Arshad, informed the court that the former prime minister had been admitted to the National Heart Institute (IJN) to undergo a procedure.

​Speaking to reporters after visiting Ismail Sabri at IJN, Amer Hamzah emphasised that his client remains determined to contest the charges once his health stabilises.

“He definitely wants to clear his name, but the main thing on his mind right now is his health,” Amer Hamzah said.

Ismail Sabri was previously scheduled to undergo a pacemaker procedure after Friday prayers on Aug 7.

In February 2025, he was rushed to hospital after he was found unconscious due to high blood pressure.

The adjournment came days after the government declassified a report into losses at Tabung Haji, Malaysia’s Muslim pilgrimage funds.

Ismail Sabri, 66, is expected to face charges related to his asset declarations, his lawyer said.

The charges came amid a Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) investigation into alleged corruption and money laundering linked to the Keluarga Malaysia initiative, a programme launched during his administration from August 2021 to November 2022.

Investigators previously seized about RM170 million (S$53 million) in foreign currencies and 16kg of gold bars worth about RM7 million during raids on premises linked to several of his former aides.

In a separate civil forfeiture action, the High Court ordered nearly RM169 million of the seized cash forfeited to the government after it went uncontested. The forfeiture proceedings are separate from the criminal prosecution.

​​Ismail Sabri has denied any wrongdoing. Moreover, the investigation did little to keep him off the campaign trail.

In the run-up to the Negeri Sembilan state election, the former PM criss-crossed the state, with posts on his social media accounts showing him campaigning in Pertang, Bahau, Palong, Juasseh, Johol, and Gemencheh, supporting BN candidates.

Questions over timing of Ismail Sabri’s court case

Analysts said the sequence of the events is likely to invite scrutiny following BN’s improved fortunes in the recent state elections, led by its dominant component party UMNO, where Ismail Sabri is a division chief.

Azmil Tayeb, visiting senior fellow at ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute, told The Straits Times that the timing is bound to invite public scrutiny.

“People have all the right to be sceptical, looking at the timing of these developments since it is at the same time as UMNO making big strides in the last two state elections,” he said.

Though it can be seen as “politically motivated”, Azmil said the case should be judged on its own merits and the independence of the courts.

In Johor, contesting without its federal unity government partner, BN won 48 of Johor’s 56 state seats. It then teamed with opposition coalition Perikatan Nasional (PN) in Negeri Sembilan state election to secure a combined 25 seats in the 36-member assembly.

Despite that, Azmil noted that the prosecution is unlikely to significantly alter ties within the unity government because Ismail Sabri no longer holds dominant influence within UMNO. The Bera MP has seen his internal standing diminish since his premiership, and has not held the UMNO presidency

However, he emphasised that the government must demonstrate that the prosecution is driven by evidence rather than politics.

“It’s a curious timing. On one hand, (the case) lands a blow against UMNO and on the other hand, it galvanises its fragmented, jaded base,” he said.

“The government must show that this is not selective persecution against a party that’s on the rise now. Otherwise, it is seen as an act of desperation to rally Pakatan Harapan supporters, many of whom are disillusioned now,” he added.

​Anwar has consistently dismissed claims that corruption investigations are politically motivated, maintaining that enforcement agencies operate independently and that no individual, regardless of office or political affiliation, is beyond the reach of the law.

Ismail Sabri, formerly an UMNO vice-president, became Malaysia’s ninth prime minister after Muhyiddin Yassin resigned when he lost his parliamentary majority amid months of political turmoil.

He led a fragile coalition government through the final phase of the Covid-19 pandemic before calling the November 2022 general election, which ended in a hung parliament.

The unprecedented result paved the way for Anwar to assemble a unity government backed by BN, together with parties from Sabah and Sarawak.