Malaysia 1MDB scandal: is Jho Low hiding in China? It depends on whom you ask
- Tom Wright, who co-wrote the book on how Jho Low masterminded the 1MDB financial scandal, believes the Malaysian financier is hiding in China
- Beijing has not officially contested Wright’s claim, but has previously has stated that it ‘does not and will never shelter foreign criminals’
“It’s a complicated process,” Anwar said, refraining from disclosing specific countries and mentioning that the endeavour involved numerous “countries, intelligence services, Interpol, et cetera.”
That remark caught the attention of Tom Wright, one of the two former Wall Street Journal reporters who best documented Low’s rise to infamy.
For some time now, Wright and Bradley Hope, co-authors of the book on Low titled Billion Dollar Whale, have asserted – based on their sources – that Low is in China. The duo currently run a media company called Project Brazen and have shared their views on the matter in newsletters and podcasts.
Hope and Wright are well respected within the regional news industry, and their followers – myself included – trust that their public statements are based on a solid factual foundation. After all, their credibility is at stake.
Beijing, on the other hand, has consistently denied any basis for this claim.
The Chinese embassy in Kuala Lumpur promptly reacted with outrage, labelling the accusation as “groundless and unacceptable.”
“The position of the Chinese government on combating crime is consistent and clear-cut,” the embassy announced in a widely-reported statement. “China does not and will never shelter foreign criminals.”
Earlier remarks were less emphatic but conveyed the same message: Beijing would not harbour a foreign fugitive.
In 2018, Hope and Wright – still Wall Street Journal reporters at the time – reported that Low was moving freely within China after that year’s Malaysian election blew the 1MDB scandal wide open.
In the same article, China’s foreign ministry claimed ignorance of the 1MDB case, without mentioning Low by name.
The foreign ministry stated that it valued cooperation with foreign governments on judicial matters and would address their requests according to the law.
I must apply the same logic I use in trusting Hope and Wright when evaluating – and accepting at face value – these statements from high-ranking Chinese officials.
After all, what incentive is there to so vehemently adopt a stance that could severely damage one’s reputation if proven blatantly false?
That being said, it is crucial to acknowledge that China has not officially contested Wright and Hope’s recent claims that Low is hiding on the mainland – which the Post and others have reported.
Perhaps the truth will come to light when – and if – Low is finally extradited to Malaysia to face justice.
As I see it, it would be preposterous for Anwar or others to argue for maintaining Low’s “hiding place” as a secret even after he is brought to Malaysian soil.