Former Malaysia PM Najib Razak has been sentenced to 12 years behind bars and fined nearly US$50 million in the first of several cases linked to corruption allegations at the 1MDB state fund. But some analysts say Najib is unlikely to spend any real time in jail. In the past, Malaysian courts have reversed verdicts on appeals of high-profile cases, most famously with opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim’s first sodomy case. “The dominant discourse surrounding Anwar’s conviction previously was that it was a politically motivated move,” said Prashant Waikar, a Research Analyst with the Malaysia Program at the RSIS. “In Najib’s case, he has sought to present himself as a political victim too.”