Overview
- Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim told reporters that Malaysia will not formally oppose fugitive financier Jho Low’s request for a U.S. presidential pardon and called the plea a non-issue.
- The U.S. Justice Department lists Low as seeking a “pardon after completion of sentence,” a type of clemency that does not by itself resolve indictments or extradition issues.
- Trade Minister Johari Abdul Ghani, who leads Malaysia’s 1MDB asset-recovery task force, urged the United States to reject the plea and pressed for Low’s return to face trial.
- Government spokesperson Fahmi Fadzil also opposed any consideration of a pardon, citing the scale of harm tied to the scandal.
- Police said they are investigating claims that Low joined secret meetings in Kuala Lumpur last year, as the broader 1MDB probe continues with Low still indicted in the U.S. and at large.