The bills racked up during the decade under Malaysia's former Prime Minister Najib Razak, now under arrest, continue to mount. Investigations into the colossal losses by the investment fund One Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) are spreading, amid efforts by the new government headed by 93-year-old Mahathir Mohamad to hold Najib's feet to the fire.
Justice for 1MDB is seen as a key ingredient in a recipe designed to put Malaysia back on track after a decade of greed and corruption at the highest levels under Najib, whose resounding defeat in May's elections marked a turning point for democracy at home and perhaps across the region.
Though corruption allegations tied to 1MDB had long dogged Najib during his tenure as prime minister, his ouster paved the way for his potential prosecution under the new government. For Najib, the son of Malaysia's second prime minister, his arrest marks a spectacular fall from grace less than two months after he was widely expected to win an election rigged in his favor.
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