TWELVE artworks connected to efforts to recover assets linked to 1Malaysia Development Berhad are now in the process of being brought back to Malaysia for further action.
Sources said the government is currently assessing the logistical costs involved in transporting the paintings, which are collectively valued at more than US$30 million, or about RM140 million.
The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission’s Senior Director of the Special Operations Division, Datuk Mohamad Zamri Zainul Abidin, said the works could not simply be shipped home without careful planning, as their condition must be preserved, particularly with a view to eventual resale.
“We are currently assessing the cost of bringing back these very high-value paintings.
“These paintings are important to the country’s sovereignty, so they must be handled with the utmost care, including during the process of returning them to Malaysia,” he told BH today.
He added that preparations are being jointly undertaken to ensure the artworks arrive safely and in good condition.
Last week, it was agreed that the 12 paintings, valued at more than US$30 million, would be returned to Malaysia as part of ongoing efforts to recover assets linked to the 1MDB scandal. The agreement was among the key outcomes of discussions between the MACC, the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation and the US Department of Justice held in Washington and New York on Dec 9 and 11 respectively.
In a statement, the MACC said the artworks were purchased by 1MDB-linked witness Jasmine Loo and are currently under the control of the US Department of Justice. The paintings are believed to be held by Christie’s and Sotheby’s auction houses in the United States.
Among the works identified are Pablo Picasso’s L’Ecuyere et les clowns from 1961, Joan Miró’s Composition from 1953, William H. Bailey’s Still Life, Alexander Calder’s Studies for Sculpture and Henri Matisse’s Femme Assise. All are collectively valued at more than US$30 million.
The bilateral discussions in Washington and New York were led by Mohamad Zamri and attended by National Financial Crime Prevention Centre director-general Datuk Seri Shamshun Baharin Mohd Jamil and deputy public prosecutor from the Attorney-General’s Chambers, Norinna Bahadun.
Meetings with the FBI were chaired by section chief Spencer Horn Chris Padurano in Washington, while discussions in New York were led by assistant special agent in charge Paul Roberts.
According to the MACC, the talks were aimed at strengthening global cooperation and collaboration between enforcement agencies, particularly in relation to cross-border financial crimes.
The discussions also touched on the case of US-based rapper Pras Michel, who was sentenced to 14 years in prison after receiving US$120 million, some of which was linked to 1MDB funds and shell companies associated with the scandal.
The US Department of Justice also informed Malaysian authorities that there remain assets belonging to fugitive financier Low Taek Jho, better known as Jho Low, in Singapore that are not covered under the US Settlement Agreement. - December 22, 2025
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