KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) – A Malaysian court on Tuesday threw out charges of abuse of power against opposition leader and former Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, describing them as “vague, flawed and unfounded”, state news agency Bernama reported.
Muhyiddin, who led Malaysia for 17 months between 2020 and 2021, was charged in March with four counts of abuse of power. A Kuala Lumpur high court ruled those charges failed to specify details of the offences allegedly committed, Bernama reported.
“With this, the applicant is acquitted and discharged,” judge Muhammad Jamil Hussin said, according to Bernama.
Muhyiddin, 76, is also charged with two counts of money laundering in the same case for receiving bribes worth 232.5 million ringgit ($50.24 million), which he denies.
Muhyiddin told reporters the court’s decision proved the allegations against him were false and he had committed no wrongdoing.
His lawyer, Hisyam Teh, said he was confident that the other charges would not hold ground based on Tuesday’s court decision.
Muhyiddin and his party have faced graft investigations since losing a national election in November, with its bank accounts frozen by the anti-graft body and two leaders charged with bribery.
The former premier, who is currently banned from leaving the country, has accused Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim of political vendetta – an allegation Anwar has denied.
Muhyiddin leads Malaysia’s opposition bloc, a conservative alliance that is becoming increasingly popular in a challenge for Anwar’s coalition government.
In regional elections held on Saturday, his Perikatan Nasional alliance made inroads in states that Anwar’s coalition has typically dominated.
($1 = 4.6280 ringgit)
(Reporting by A. Ananthalakshmi; Editing by Martin Petty)
