KUALA LUMPUR — Malaysia has successfully recovered RM31.3 billion, or 74.5 per cent, of the RM42 billion misappropriated from 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) as of last year, according to Tan Sri Azam Baki.
The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) chief commissioner said the achievement ranks among the highest asset recovery rates worldwide for large-scale financial crime cases.
“The total value of assets recovered as of 2025 stands at RM31,301,717,268.56, equivalent to 74.5 per cent of the overall amount misappropriated,” he told a press conference in Putrajaya.
He added that the amount recovered exceeded earlier estimates of RM30 billion, or 70%, cited in previous reports.
“To date, based on available data, the total funds misappropriated from 1MDB amount to RM42 billion,” he said.
Azam outlined the annual recovery progress: RM1.155 billion in 2019, RM14.257 billion in 2020, RM5.117 billion in 2021, RM400.38 million in 2022, RM8.088 billion in 2023, RM715.95 million in 2024, and RM1.566 billion in 2025.
He stressed that the process required extensive international collaboration and legal action involving multiple parties, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the United States Department of Justice.
“Efforts were carried out through mutual legal assistance, financial intelligence sharing, bilateral engagements, and cross-border asset forfeiture, involving jurisdictions such as the United States, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and Singapore,” he said.
Among key recoveries were proceeds from the sale of the luxury yacht Equanimity amounting to about RM543 million, as well as the return of a private jet and overseas properties.
Azam also noted global settlements with international financial institutions, including Goldman Sachs Group, International Petroleum Investment Company, and Aabar Investments PJS, along with audit firms Deloitte and KPMG, collectively contributing billions of ringgit to Malaysia.
He said the MACC is also working to recover proceeds from the sale of Claude Monet’s Vétheuil au Soleil, which sold in Switzerland for about EUR25.2 million (around RM114 million).
“The funds are currently subject to seizure proceedings by US authorities, and efforts to recover them are ongoing through legal channels and cooperation with authorities in the US and Switzerland,” he said.
He emphasised the MACC’s commitment to tracing and reclaiming all misappropriated assets, regardless of location or timeframe.
“Insya-Allah, all these assets can be returned to the country in the near future, possibly by 2027. This effort is not only about recovering national assets, but also restoring public trust in our institutions. No one will escape legal action, and every sen belonging to the people will be returned,” he added. – May 6, 2026