The former leader said that he had already been punished politically and should not also be “legally victimized.”

The youth wing says an apology alone will not undo the damage or losses Malaysians endured following the 1MDB scandal.

By Rozanna Latiff and Mandy Leong KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - Jailed former Malaysia Prime Minister Najib Razak on Thursday issued a rare apology for his mishandling of the multibillion-dollar 1MDB financial scandal,

Investigators allege more than $6.8 billion was stolen from the fund and laundered by Najib Razak's associates to finance Hollywood films and extravagant purchases.

Umno secretary-general Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki reiterates the party’s belief in the former prime minister’s innocence.

Jailed former Malaysian premier Najib Razak apologized for the 1MDB scandal but denied that he siphoned money from the troubled fund.

An earlier version of this article quoted Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim as saying he accepted Najib Razak’s apology. The Prime Minister’s Office has since said that it should be “welcome” instead of “accept”.

In his statement, Najib maintained his innocence, attributing the corruption to external parties, particularly the businessman Jho Low and executives linked to PetroSaudi.