Welcome to Foreign Policy’s Southeast Asia Brief.

The highlights this week: Malaysia’s Najib Razak is granted clemency by the king for a second time; the global fuel crisis puts regional airline AirAsia on the brink; and plans by Taiwan to open a new representative’s office in Cebu have created a stir.

Welcome to Foreign Policy’s Southeast Asia Brief.

The highlights this week: Malaysia’s Najib Razak is granted clemency by the king for a second time; the global fuel crisis puts regional airline AirAsia on the brink; and plans by Taiwan to open a new representative’s office in Cebu have created a stir.

Malaysia’s top crook gets leniency

On Friday, Malaysia’s king granted clemency for a second time to the country’s most notorious criminal—former prime minister Najib Razak—allowing him to serve his remaining sentence under house arrest.

Convicted of embezzling millions of dollars from 1Malaysia Development Berhad, a state investment fund, Najib has slimed his way into royal pardons with a tenacity that would be admirable if it were used for another endeavor.

His pardon will further take the shine off the current government, which came to power promising reform after the graft of the Najib years.

The move has also enraged reformers in Malaysia who had pinned hope on the current prime minister, Anwar Ibrahim, to clean things up. Anthony Loke, leader of the Democratic Action Party—the largest party in Malaysia’s government—resigned from his post as transport minister in protest.

It also seems at odds with the king’s own declaration in February, following another corruption scandal, that “no one is above the law.”

So, why the clemency? Anwar has disavowed any responsibility, arguing that the power lies with the pardons board and ultimately the king. But critics still blame him.

One factor at play is surely Najib’s ability to retain the vocal loyalty of hardcore supporters within his party who insist that “Bossku,” or their “boss,” is the victim of some elaborate witch hunt or is somehow the victim, and not the perpetrator, of fraud.

His party, the United Malay National Organisation, is a key component of the current coalition government. In recent months, it has seen a revival of its political fortunes that would have been unthinkable a few years ago.

The clemency seems extraordinary given the sheer scale of the corruption that Najib oversaw and the weight of evidence against him.

Police seized goods valued at up to $273 million from his various properties, including bags of cash in multiple currencies, jewelry, and designer handbags (his wife was an avid collector). Another $681 million turned up in Najib’s personal bank account, which he claimed was a gift from the Saudi royal family.

In 2020, Najib was sentenced to 12 years in prison, with an additional five years unless he paid a........

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