KUALA LUMPUR — Fugitive financier Low Taek Jho, better known as Jho Low, should not be pardoned, said 1MDB asset recovery taskforce chairman Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani.
Speaking in response to a report by The Wall Street Journal, Johari, who also serves as International Trade and Industry Minister, told Reuters: “As far as I'm concerned, I'm against the pardon.”
He added that the United States should instead assist Malaysia in locating Low for further investigations.
Low faces multiple charges in both Malaysia and the US, including corruption and money laundering, over his alleged role in the misappropriation of at least US$4.5 billion (RM20.7 billion) from 1MDB. He has consistently denied any wrongdoing and his current location remains unknown.
The WSJ report said Low recently submitted a request for a presidential pardon in the United States, which, if granted, would remove his US criminal charges.
A White House official reportedly said the request is not currently under consideration. The US Department of Justice website lists a pending application this year for a “Pardon after Completion of Sentence” under Low’s name.
Johari also said he was unaware of any discussions between Low and Malaysian authorities regarding asset returns. The WSJ noted that Malaysia temporarily lifted an Interpol red notice against Low to facilitate the repatriation of significant assets.
In 2019, the US recovered approximately US$1 billion from Low, who surrendered a private jet and high-value properties in Beverly Hills, New York, and London.
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said in 2023 that the government was negotiating with other countries to accelerate Low’s return, though he did not disclose the nations involved. Low was previously reported to be in China, a claim Beijing has denied.
Separately, Low has reportedly cited his involvement in Malaysia’s extradition of Bangladeshi national Zobaidul Amin to the US in a child exploitation case as part of his pardon bid.
The WSJ reported that Low told US authorities he could help facilitate several agreements, including the extradition. Malaysian officials, however, were reportedly surprised, stating he had no role in the matter.
Amin, 28, was handed over to US authorities on March 4 and later transferred to Alaska by the FBI. Court documents indicate he had been residing in Malaysia while attending a medical college and allegedly used social media platforms to coerce minors into producing sexually explicit material.
Malaysian enforcement agencies have been collaborating with the FBI and US Department of Justice since September 2022, while the Attorney General’s Chambers charged Amin with 13 offences related to child pornography.
Jho Low, the most wanted figure in the 1MDB scandal, has formally requested a US presidential pardon in recent weeks. Should it be granted, the move would nullify his US charges. Low vanished in 2016 amid global investigations into the 1MDB fraud, with reports suggesting he may be in Shanghai. - May 13, 2026
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