Top Malaysian court orders ex-PM Najib to begin final appeal

PUTRAJAYA, Malaysia (AP) — Malaysia’s top court has ordered former Prime Minister Najib Razak to begin his final appeal on Thursday after rejecting his request to throw out his graft conviction and 12-year sentence over potential judicial bias. The Federal Court said Tuesday it wasn’t convinced the judge was biased in his ruling against Najib. Najib, 69, said he was “bitterly disappointed” with the court’s ruling and vowed to show the truth in his final appeal. Najib would become Malaysia’s first former prime minister to be imprisoned if his appeal fails. Najib has reiterated his innocence and has been out on bail pending his appeals. He remains a lawmaker and his party leads the current government.