Malaysia PM’s ex-son-in-law declared bankrupt over US$1.25million ‘friendly loan’
Fashion designer Jovian Mandagie, once married to Ismail Sabri Yaakob’s daughter, was declared bankrupt, adding to scandals surrounding the former leader’s family
The bankruptcy of high-profile fashion designer Jovian Mandagie, the former son-in-law of Malaysia’s ex-prime minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob, has brought renewed attention to the growing scandals surrounding the former leader’s family.
Jovian, once a household name in Malaysian and Indonesian fashion circles, was declared bankrupt by the Kuala Lumpur High Court on Thursday for failing to repay a US$1.25 million loan to an engineering firm.
The court ruling comes amid ongoing investigations by anti-corruption authorities into Ismail Sabri over alleged embezzlement of public funds during his time in office.
Now 39, Jovian gained local prominence in part through his marriage to Ismail Sabri’s daughter, Nina. The couple divorced in August 2023, less than a year after Ismail Sabri stepped down from office following a brief 15-month tenure.
The loan dispute stems from a verbal agreement with Cekap Air Sdn Bhd, which described the money as a “friendly loan” given informally due to personal ties. The company told the court that it initially had no reason to question Jovian’s credibility, considering he owned several businesses.
But his financial woes had already surfaced in other arenas. Another firm had previously sued him for failing to pay around 5 million ringgit (US$1.18 million) for branded face masks produced during the Covid-19 pandemic, as he had attempted to shift his apparel label toward the production of personal protective equipment.
Jovian, who returned to Indonesia following his divorce, has been summoned by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) to assist in its investigation against his former father-in-law.
“We have been informed that we will need to meet him there. We cannot compel him to return at this stage as he is now an Indonesian citizen and is residing there,” MACC chief Azam Baki said in May.
It is not clear whether the questioning has taken place.
In March, Ismail Sabri was named as a suspect in a corruption case after authorities seized nearly US$40 million in cash and gold bars from alleged safe houses across Kuala Lumpur. The haul included various currencies from the US, Singapore, and Japan, which were discovered during MACC raids.
The agency had been investigating the possible misuse of some 700 million ringgit (US$157 million) in public funds spent on promoting Ismail Sabri’s short-lived administration under the “Keluarga Malaysia” or “Malaysian Family” branding campaign. The slogan was launched during his premiership as a call for national unity across ethnic lines.
Despite the discoveries and public scrutiny, Ismail Sabri has not been formally charged.
If indicted, he would become the third Malaysian prime minister in recent years to face corruption allegations, following Muhyiddin Yassin, who has been charged, and Najib Razak, who is serving a prison sentence after being convicted in the multibillion-dollar 1MDB scandal.
