Testimony at the High Court on February 9, 2026, shed further light on the financial arrangements surrounding Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak’s private banking accounts, with the court hearing that fugitive businessman Low Taek Jho took active steps to prevent cheques issued from those accounts from being rejected.
Former AmBank relationship manager Joanna Yu Ging Ping informed the court that her dealings with Jho Low indicated a clear priority: ensuring that cheques drawn from Najib’s personal AmBank accounts were honoured, even when the balances were insufficient. According to her testimony, instructions were conveyed to avoid returning cheques due to overdrafts, a situation that arose on multiple occasions.
Yu explained that when the accounts were overdrawn, individuals linked to Jho Low would sometimes arrive at the bank with cash to replenish the balances. The objective, she said, appeared less focused on the purpose of the cheques and more on avoiding the reputational and procedural consequences of dishonoured payments. She also told the court that Jho Low had, at times, contacted her to enquire about the balances in Najib’s accounts, reinforcing the impression that close attention was being paid to ensuring payments went through.
The testimony was given during examination by Najib’s legal team in the RM42 million civil suit initiated by SRC International Sdn Bhd and its subsidiary, Gandingan Mentari Sdn Bhd. The lawsuit, filed in 2021, seeks a court declaration that Najib is responsible for the disputed sum, alongside claims involving knowing receipt, dishonest assistance, misfeasance in public office and abuse of power.
Yu further stated that the recurring nature of the overdrafts led her to question both Jho Low and the authorised mandate holder for the accounts, former SRC International chief executive officer Nik Faisal Ariff Kamil. She said she had sought clarification on why cheques were being issued without ensuring that sufficient funds were already in place, noting that such practices were highly unusual in standard banking operations.
When asked whether it was common for account holders to issue cheques while knowing their accounts lacked funds, Yu indicated that the circumstances were far from ordinary. She described the accounts as exceptional due to their ownership by a sitting prime minister at the time, adding that such status may have influenced assumptions that funds would ultimately be made available.
The proceedings form part of ongoing legal scrutiny surrounding SRC International-linked funds and Najib’s personal banking activities. The High Court continues to hear evidence as the civil case progresses, with Yu appearing as the fourth defence witness in the matter.
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