Malaysia nepotism claims swirl as daughter of disgraced Najib gets government role

Nooryana Najwa Najib, the daughter of Malaysia’s jailed ex-PM Najib Razak, has landed a key role at Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation

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Nooryana Najwa Najib in 2018. She was appointed this week to the board of the Malaysian government’s trade agency. File photo: AFP

Published: 12:04pm, 17 Oct 2024Updated: 4:14pm, 17 Oct 2024

Malaysian social media has erupted in outcry over alleged nepotism linked to the appointment of the 36-year-old daughter of disgraced former prime minister Najib Razak to the board of the government’s trade agency.

Nooryana Najwa Najib, whose parents are Najib and Rosmah Mansor, was appointed to the board of the Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (Matrade) on Tuesday, with the process including the swearing of an anti-corruption oath at its office in Kuala Lumpur.

Her father Najib was found guilty of corruption in the first of several 1MDB-related court cases, and is serving a six-year jail sentence.

Despite his incarceration, Najib’s party Umno continues to advocate for his release, insisting he is an innocent victim of a political conspiracy.

Former Malaysian prime minister Najib Razak, who is in a wheelchair, at the Kuala Lumpur High Court last month. Photo: EPA-EFE

Matrade chairman Reezal Merican Naina Merican – who served in Najib’s cabinet – announced Nooryana’s appointment, prompting condemnation over the optics of the offspring of a leader jailed for graft taking a government role, as well her qualifications for the job of overseeing Malaysia’s export trade.