KUALA LUMPUR – Despite what has been said by the authorities, no one in Malaysia is actively seeking the return of fugitive Low Taek Jho from China, said journalists Tom Wright and Bradley Hope.
Better known as Jho Low, the 41-year-old from Penang, who is wanted for his alleged involvement in the 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) scandal, has been on the run since 2018.
Both Wright and Hope, co-authors of the book Billion Dollar Whale, said a source in China who knows the upper levels of the Chinese government and is well connected to the Chinese Communist Party, claimed that no parties in Malaysia have been seeking Jho Low.
“The source said not the police, the Attorney-General’s Chambers or the foreign corruption unit is asking for Jho Low from China,” said Hope on episode 5 of “Where is Jho Low” on the Project Brazen YouTube channel.
Hope said despite authorities telling the Malaysian public that they are looking for Low, the search has not been going on.
“The source said essentially too many powerful people in Malaysia are connected to Low who have not yet been fully scrutinised regarding the money they received and the relationship they had with him.
“As a result, no one in Malaysia really wants Low back because it can become too explosive, everything that he has done and knows could affect Malaysia” he said.
Hope also said that there seems to be a very clear deal between Low and China where he can have free movement, and no foreign country can interfere with him while he is in China.
“According to the source, he has a new passport, new identity in case he needs to use it or show it to anyone. He is living a visa-free life in China.”
Wright and Hope said that Low got his deal with China due to his involvement in the Belt and Road projects in Malaysia during Najib’s time in power.
Meanwhile, they also said that Low’s family has been living a fairly normal life in Hong Kong, while Low feels the safest in mainland China since Najib fell from power.
“Hong Kong is the base of operations for his (Low’s) parents, who are quite a notable family from Penang and have been frozen out of Malaysia.
“So they now have all their assets in Hong Kong and are also residents there,” said Hope.
They also said that there may have been more evidence of Low’s active operational life in China as his company, Jynwel Capital, had been renamed to Quinton Investments Limited.
“According to the Hong Kong registry for that company, there has been activity as recently as several months ago.
“This is pretty relevant because that is where the money from 1MDB has potentially gone,” Hope added.
Recently, Home Minister Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin said that the government has no plans to reward those who are able to provide critical information on the whereabouts of Low to the relevant Malaysian authorities. – The Vibes, October 5, 2022.
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