A powerful lawmaker from Prime Minister Najib Razak's ruling party was convicted by a Malaysian court Friday of corruption and sentenced to a year in jail. Najib came to power in 2009 with a pledge to tackle corruption which is endemic in Malaysian politics and society, and a key factor behind the government's disastrous performance in 2008 elections.
High Court Judge Wira Mohtarudin Baki found Mohamad Khir Toyo - a former chief minister of central Selangor state - guilty of abusing his position to buy land in 2007. He also ordered the confiscation of Balinese-style mansion. "Only a fine is not enough in this case ... the (former) head of a state deserves a jail sentence. Hence the court orders a 12 month jail term from today," he was quoted as saying by the official Bernama news agency.