Kuala Lumpur: Malaysian former Prime Minister Najib Razak has been charged with three counts of criminal breach of trust related to alleged corruption at a former unit of scandal-tainted state fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB).

He has also been charged under Section 23 of an anti-corruption act that describes offence of using office or position for gratification.

Najib, 64, was arrested at his home on Tuesday afternoon, less than two months after police and graft busters revived probes into the fund's missing billions and a suspicious transaction involving SRC International, a former 1MDB unit.

Najib, who spent the night in lock-up, arrived at 8.20am local time at the court complex in Malaysia's capital of Kuala Lumpur, wearing a dark blue suit and a red tie. Crowds of media and curious onlookers jostled to catch a glance of the former premier as he was led to a sessions court where he will be read the charges.

Some members of Najib's UMNO party chanted and held up placards in solidarity with the former premier.