Latest news with #NajibRazak
ABC News
4 days ago
- Business
- ABC News
Malaysian fugitive Jho Low allegedly using fake Australian passport while living in China
A high-profile Malaysian corruption suspect is allegedly living in China under a Greek name with a forged Australian passport, according to the investigative media outlet Brazen. Jho Low, a financier accused of being the mastermind of Malaysia's largest corruption case, is reportedly living in an upscale Shanghai neighbourhood with a forged Australian passport under the name Constantinos Acilles Veis. Malaysia's former prime minister Najib Razak has been detained since 2022 after being found guilty of corruption and money laundering relating to the sovereign wealth fund he established, 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB). Mr Low is alleged to have helped Mr Najib develop an elaborate, international scheme that defrauded Malaysian taxpayers out of about $US4.5 billion ($6.8 billion), according to Malaysian and US investigators. The businessman, who has maintained his innocence, previously held citizenship in Cyprus and the Caribbean island country of St Kitts and Nevis — both of which have been revoked. Brazen is an investigative reporting outlet founded by Bradley Hope and Tom Wright, former correspondents for the Wall Street Journal who played a major role in exposing the 1MDB scandal. In response to Brazen's reporting, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said he was unaware of any official confirmation that Mr Low was residing in China. "I have no information, we are yet to receive anything. Let me check. I've read [the media reports]. I need to verify with the home minister," Mr Anwar said as quoted by the state news agency Bernama. The US Department of Justice settled with Mr Low in 2019 to recoup around $US1 billion stolen from 1MDB, but American authorities said he was still wanted for his role in the affair. Malaysian and Singaporean authorities have also said they are continuing to pursue Mr Low. The superyacht Equanimity, which the US government said Mr Low had purchased using funds stolen from 1MDB, was seized by Indonesian authorities in 2018. The vessel was later sold for $US126 million ($193 million), and the proceeds were returned to the Malaysian government. The ABC has contacted the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) and the Australian Federal Police for comment. Australia expelled an Israeli diplomat in 2010 after it emerged that faked Australian passports were used by Israel's spy agency, Mossad, to assassinate a top Hamas leader in Dubai. Australia rolled out the R Series passport in 2023, the elaborate design of which DFAT said made forgeries more difficult.
Malay Mail
4 days ago
- Politics
- Malay Mail
Rawang rep urges Putrajaya to offer RM10m bounty for Jho Low, calls fugitive ‘symbol of a compromised system'
KUALA LUMPUR, July 20 — Rawang assemblyman Chua Wei Kiat has today urged Putrajaya to offer a RM10 million reward for credible information leading to the return of fugitive financier Low Taek Jho, also known as Jho Low. He said Low's return is important so that he can be tried and punished accordingly in court like former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak. 'If this RM10 million reward can lead to the return of a central figure who has long vanished from public view, it would be a worthy investment in justice. 'It would also send a clear message to the world that Malaysia does not compromise when it comes to combating large-scale corruption,' he said in a statement here. Chua said the amount of the proposed reward is only a fraction of the over RM29 billion in 1MDB assets already recovered by Malaysian authorities. He pointed out that similar reward mechanisms are used by nations like the United States, India and China to apprehend terrorists, or criminals involved in cross-border financial crimes such as money laundering and corruption. 'We must not forget that Jho Low is not just a suspect – he is the symbol of a compromised system, manipulated institutions, and stolen national wealth. 'How can justice truly be served if the man holding the key to the entire scandal remains at large, living a life of luxury abroad?' the Selayang PKR chief asked. Chua added that Jho Low's return is critical to ensuring the 1MDB investigations and prosecutions can proceed without disruption. 'This will help prevent incidents like DNAA (discharge not amounting to acquittal) from recurring due to the absence of key witnesses and insufficient evidence,' he said. It was reported yesterday that Low, has supposedly been located in a luxury neighbourhood in Shanghai, China, where he is said to be living under a false identity and working with entities linked to the Chinese government. Low is allegedly now residing in Green Hills, an exclusive enclave in Shanghai — by taking a Greek alias of Constantinos Achilles Veis using a fake Australian passport.
The Star
5 days ago
- Politics
- The Star
More song and dance around Najib's house arrest
Enabling Najib to serve his sentence under house arrest will appease Umno members but will further damage the credibility of Pakatan Harapan leaders. SOME said it would be a secret meeting but how can it be a secret when the attendance list comprised so many division leaders of Umno? As things turned out, a total of 160 Umno division chiefs gathered at the Royale Chulan hotel in Selangor in a show of support for Datuk Seri Najib Razak's bid to be allowed to serve the rest of his corruption conviction under house arrest. It was less a secret meeting than a meeting about a sensitive issue. It seems like Umno is done with tip-toeing around the addendum issue and there was a no-holds-barred air to the evening with the key speaker, Wangsa Maju chief Datuk Seri Shafei Abdullah lashing out at Tan Sri Ahmad Terrirudin Mohd Salleh who was the attorney general at the time the addendum was drawn up. The addendum issue has hovered over Umno like a dark cloud. Umno is a royalist party and its members do not understand why the government has not adhered to the addendum which it considers to be a 'titah Tuanku' or royal decree by the former Yang di-Pertuan Agong. This has been a rather unfortunate year for Terrirudin who has been making news for all the wrong reasons. He is the target of commentary among the Umno crowd and was a subject of some rather nasty speculation in connection to the judicial appointments. In Chinese fengshui, it would be deemed one of those years when one is 'sitting atop the head of the Grand Duke' and which translates as an unlucky year. The Umno crowd that evening claimed the addendum was concealed for more than a year. 'First, they denied its existence, we were told it was hearsay. Now they say there is an addendum but it did not observe the proper process. 'Of course, we are frustrated. Our members are asking why we cannot do anything although we are in the government,' said Ketereh division chief Datuk Seri Alwi Che Ahmad. Some of those at the gathering even want Najib to be allowed house arrest before the Sabah election so that he can help 'campaign' for the party from his home. Shafei, who was Najib's former political secretary, concluded by urging Umno divisions which are currently having their annual general meetings, to pass resolutions to defend the Malay Rulers and to urge the government to implement the addendum. Pakatan Harapan leaders have gone back on many of the promises they made before coming to power, but backtracking on Najib's conviction could be the proverbial nail in the coffin. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is struggling against public opinion over many of his policies and he cannot afford to cave in over Najib and the 1MDB scandal. Whatever support that Pakatan has will wither away the day Najib returns home on house arrest. Despite the aggressive tone of the Umno gathering, many of them are doubtful that Najib's bid for house arrest will ever see the light of day. So why are they making such a song and dance about it? Najib, according to an aide to a Johor leader, has become some sort of an Achilles Heel to Umno. 'The Umno general assembly will take place in a few months time and the leadership cannot be seen to be sitting on their hands,' said the aide. Umno deputy president and Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan, who has been swamped by invitations to officiate at Umno division meetings, admits that queries about Najib's fate and the party's cooperation with DAP are among the common concerns. 'These are concerns that have not subsided after more than two years in the unity government. But my key message is that we need to be united as a party because people out there will not support a party that is divided,' said Mohamad. The Prime Minister has been strategic in responding to Umno's demands on the royal addendum. He said he is ready to meet with Umno, to talk and to clarify. 'He is a seasoned politician, he can sense the veiled threats behind their demands. What was said at the hotel gathering has been as fierce as some of the speeches we get at Umno general assemblies,' said the above aide to a Johor leader. Can Anwar also sense Umno's ambitions for the premiership in time to come? It is no secret that the inner circle of Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi thinks he should get a shot at it. Ahmad Zahid is very strong in Umno. Few dare to criticise him and an outspoken party official from Johor had a taste of his president's wrath when Ahmad Zahid openly blasted at him during a division AGM. It has been suggested that all those division chiefs would not have gathered at Royale Chulan without their president's blessing. Ahmad Zahid was in New Zealand and the insider joke is that he brought along his 'loudspeaker,' that is, Umno Youth chief Datuk Dr Muhamad Akmal Saleh so that the hotel gathering would not get too heated up given Akmal's talent for controversy. Only division chiefs without government posts attended. Ministers and deputy ministers as well as those with positions at state level were visibly absent. This was to avoid a situation of government leaders railing against the government. In that sense, the Royale Chulan affair was like one of those Malay silat moves, where you cannot see where the real blow is coming from. How sincere are Umno leaders about the addendum issue? Are they merely going through the motions to appease their grassroots and assuage the Najib family? Is Umno riding on Najib the way DAP exploited Teoh Beng Hock's death for political capital? Do Umno leaders, especially Ahmad Zahid, really want Najib back home where he could be an alternative centre of gravity in the party? 'Umno members are realistic. They do not want Najib back as their leader. They see him as someone who can play a balancing role and say things their leaders cannot,' said the above Johor aide. The Prime Minister needs Umno on his side but he does not need Najib. The addendum issue resembles a political tug-of-war between two partners of the same government. There is no winner in this sort of situation. > The views expressed here are entirely the writer's own
![News@9: Today's top headlines - July 18, 2025 [WATCH]](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.nst.com.my%2Fassets%2FNST-Logo%402x.png%3Fid%3Db37a17055cb1ffea01f5&w=48&q=75){kind=small}
New Straits Times
5 days ago
- Politics
- New Straits Times
News@9: Today's top headlines - July 18, 2025 [WATCH]
Here are tonight's top stories: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is open to meeting Umno leaders over the royal addendum on Datuk Seri Najib Razak — but says the matter is up to the courts. A Transport Ministry report reveals the UPSI tour bus that crashed in Gerik last month — killing 15 students — was going 117km/h, nearly twice the speed limit. Following their cabinet exits, MPs Rafizi Ramli and Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad have been reassigned to the parliamentary backbenches. New seating starts Monday. Pamela still missing Three months since her disappearance, police say there are still no leads in the case of Datin Seri Pamela Ling Yueh. That's all for News@9.
Malay Mail
6 days ago
- Politics
- Malay Mail
Malaysian Bar hails Wan Ahmad Farid's appointment as Chief Justice, cites understanding of judicial independence in Laidlaw recusal
KUALA LUMPUR, July 18 — The Malaysian Bar has today lauded the appointment of Datuk Wan Ahmad Farid Wan Salleh as Chief Justice, citing his 2022 decision to recuse himself from a high-profile case involving UK King's Counsel Jonathan Laidlaw. In a statement, it said this shows that Wan Ahmad Farid had shown a profound understanding of judicial independence — especial in his remark then, which highlighted the importance of public confidence in the Judiciary and its role in upholding the rule of law. 'These statements demonstrate a profound understanding of the Judiciary's sacred role in upholding the rule of law,' its president Mohamad Ezri Abdul Wahab said. 'We hope that under the stewardship of these new judicial office bearers, the Judiciary will continue to uphold the highest standards of independence, integrity, and service to the nation, reaching greater heights.' In August 2023, the Federal Court refused to admit British lawyer Laidlaw as an advocate and solicitor to represent former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak in the SRC International Sdn Bhd criminal case. Wan Ahmad Farid had in June 2022 recused himself to avoid any unnecessary criticism against the judiciary, due to his past role as a politician and because a family member is a division leader in Najib's Umno party. The Malaysian Bar today also welcomed the appointments of Datuk Abu Bakar Jais as President of the Court of Appeal, and Justice Datuk Azizah Nawawi as Chief Judge of Sabah and Sarawak. 'We extend our congratulations and wish him every success in leading the Judiciary with distinction, courage, and unwavering commitment to justice,' it said, referring to Wan Ahmad Farid. The Bar said the new appointments were much welcomed following months of uncertainty and speculation, and expressed confidence that the Judiciary, under its new leadership, could reach greater heights. However, the Bar also raised concern over continuing vacancies at the Federal Court, Court of Appeal and High Court levels. 'While these appointments are much welcomed after months of uncertainty, anticipation, and avoidable speculation, many critical vacancies — current and anticipated — remain unfilled across the Federal Court, the Court of Appeal, and the High Court. 'We remain hopeful that these remaining vacancies will be filled promptly and transparently, in a manner that reinforces public confidence in the Judiciary and strengthens the administration of justice,' it said.
