SEREMBAN – Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim says Malaysia will not consider a pardon for fugitive Jho Low. The Prime Minister spoke to reporters on Friday about the ongoing 1MDB scandal. He called the idea of a pardon a “non-issue” for the country right now. Anwar pointed out that legal cases against Jho Low are still moving through the courts.
Recent reports suggest that Jho Low is trying to clear his name in the United States. A pardon request under his name appeared on the U.S. Department of Justice website. If the U.S. grants this request, it could drop all criminal charges against him there. This news sparked questions about whether Malaysia would follow suit.
Anwar remained firm on the government’s stance. He said that Malaysia will not support or join any pardon bid. He also noted that Washington has the right to make its own sovereign choices. However, the Prime Minister has not received any official word about the U.S. application yet. He insisted that the law must take its course without outside interference.
Jho Low is the alleged mastermind behind the massive 1MDB financial fraud. Prosecutors say he helped steal billions of dollars from Malaysia’s national wealth fund. He has spent nearly ten years running from the law. While other officials have gone to prison, Jho Low remains a wanted man across the globe.
The Malaysian government wants to recover the stolen money and bring those responsible to justice. Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil recently said the damage to the nation was too deep to ignore. For now, the door to a pardon remains firmly shut. Jho Low must still answer for his actions in a Malaysian court of law.
