KUALA LUMPUR – The Federal Court today reinstated the six-year prison sentence and RM15.45 million fine imposed on former Felda chairman and minister Tan Sri Isa Samad, ending the nearly decade-long legal battle over his role in a controversial hotel purchase.
A three-judge bench led by Datuk Nordin Hassan allowed the prosecution’s appeal, setting aside the Court of Appeal’s 2024 acquittal and restoring the High Court’s 2018 conviction. The other two judges on the bench were Justices Datuk Lee Swee Seng and Datuk Che Mohd Ruzima Ghazali.
Isa, 76, was originally found guilty of one count of criminal breach of trust and nine counts of receiving gratification exceeding RM3 million in connection with the Felda Investment Corporation Sdn Bhd (FICSB) acquisition of the Merdeka Palace Hotel & Suites in Kuching at an inflated price.
The offences occurred between July 21, 2014, and Dec 11, 2015, at Menara Felda, Persiaran KLCC, with allegations that Isa received inducements via intermediaries to facilitate the purchase. He was charged under Section 16(a)(A) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act, which allows a maximum 20-year jail term and fines of no less than five times the bribe amount or RM10,000, whichever is higher.
The High Court had handed down the six-year sentence and RM15.45 million fine in 2018, only for the Court of Appeal to overturn the conviction in March 2024 because the prosecution failed to prove a prima facie case.
Today’s Federal Court ruling restores the original sentence, sending Isa back to prison. – February 10, 2026