KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 27 — More than 80 supporters of former prime minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob gathered outside the Kuala Lumpur Court Complex here this morning to show their support for him.

One supporter, who identified herself as Liza, 42, said they were residents of Bera, Pahang who travelled to the capital on two buses that left at about 4am, BuletinTV3 reported.

Most of them were understood to be members of the Bera Umno division.

“We started getting ready at home as early as 3am before leaving for the capital.

“We arrived at about 7am after a journey of nearly three hours by bus. Some also drove their own vehicles here.

“It is all to give moral support to our elected representative,” she told reporters.

Ismail Sabri, 66, who is also the Bera MP, arrived at the Sessions Court here at 8.32am to face charges under the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act 2009.

The case is scheduled to be mentioned before Judge Suzana Hussin at 9am.

The former prime minister is expected to face a charge under Section 36(2) of the MACC Act 2009 relating to asset declaration.

Ismail Sabri was originally scheduled to be charged on August 7, but the proceedings were postponed to today after he was admitted to the National Heart Institute (IJN) for health reasons.

Suzana had previously postponed the reading of the charges and the recording of his plea to Aug 27 after lawyer Amer Hamzah sought a deferment, citing Ismail Sabri’s possible irregular heartbeat and a planned procedure to implant a pacemaker.

The former prime minister had previously been called several times to have his statement recorded in connection with an asset declaration he made to MACC.

MACC also seized RM170 million in cash in various foreign currencies and confiscated 16kg of pure gold bars estimated to be worth RM7 million as part of a corruption and money-laundering investigation involving him.

The seizures were made during searches of residences and an office believed to have been used as a “safe house”, following investigations into four of Ismail Sabri’s senior officers who were arrested in February 2025.