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Malaysia will not formally oppose fugitive businessman Low Taek Jho's reported attempt to obtain a presidential pardon from US President Donald Trump, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said today, 15 May
Speaking to reporters during a visit to Seremban, Anwar described the matter as a "non-issue" and said the Malaysian government would not interfere while legal proceedings remain ongoing in the US.
"As far as we are concerned, we are not going [down] that route," Anwar said when asked whether Putrajaya would formally oppose Low's pardon bid.
"Even if he has submitted, it is not an issue that we should discuss because he is still undergoing this process in the courts."
According to the US Department of Justice website, Low is seeking a "pardon after completion of sentence".
AFP reported that Low remains a fugitive and has been indicted in the US over his alleged role in the multibillion-dollar 1MDB scandal.
The businessman, who has consistently denied wrongdoing, disappeared nearly a decade ago as international investigations intensified around the sovereign wealth fund
International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani, who chairs a task force tasked with recovering 1MDB-linked assets worldwide, said earlier this week that Low's pardon request should be rejected and that he should instead be returned to Malaysia to face trial.
The 1MDB fund was launched in 2009 under then-prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak.
Investigators across several countries later alleged that more than USD4.5 billion was siphoned from the state investment fund between 2009 and 2015 by officials and associates linked to the operation.
Najib has since been convicted in multiple corruption-related cases connected to 1MDB and was sentenced to prison and fined over USD2.8 billion.
Throughout the proceedings, Najib's legal team repeatedly pointed to Low as the alleged mastermind behind the scheme.
Malaysia had previously attempted to secure Low's extradition, though authorities were unsuccessful
Over the years, widespread speculation and media reports suggested he may have been residing in China, though his whereabouts remain officially unconfirmed.
The 1MDB scandal became one of the biggest political and financial controversies in Malaysian history, contributing heavily to the collapse of Barisan Nasional's decades-long rule in the 2018 general election.
The scandal also triggered investigations across multiple countries and led to the convictions of two former Goldman Sachs bankers.
Authorities alleged that money linked to the scandal was used to fund lavish purchases around the world, including luxury real estate, artwork by Claude Monet and Vincent van Gogh, a superyacht, and even the Hollywood film The Wolf of Wall Street.
Hollywood actor Leonardo DiCaprio also testified during court proceedings related to the case, with investigators detailing Low's extravagant spending and celebrity-filled parties.
