KUALA LUMPUR, July 9 — Deputy Finance Minister Liew Chin Tong has denied allegations that fugitive businessman Low Taek Jho, widely known as Jho Low, entered Malaysia with a Chinese delegation last year to hold negotiations over the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) scandal.
“I deny the allegation,” he said briefly during Question Time in the Dewan Rakyat today in response to a supplementary question from Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman (MUDA-Muar).
Earlier, Syed Saddiq cited media reports alleging that Jho Low attended a secret meeting in Malaysia late last year to negotiate a 1MDB repayment package involving the Ministry of Finance.
Responding to the original question from Chong Chieng Jen (PH-Stampin) on 1MDB’s debts and efforts to recover misappropriated funds, Liew said the government continued to intensify asset recovery efforts through both criminal and civil proceedings, including those involving former Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.
He said the High Court had, on Dec 26, 2025, sentenced Najib to 15 years’ imprisonment and imposed a RM11.38 billion fine after finding him guilty on 25 charges of money laundering and abuse of power to obtain bribes linked to 1MDB.
Liew said the government’s civil suit against Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor seeks to recover US$380 million (about RM1.56 billion) in damages over 1MDB funds allegedly used to purchase luxury goods, including handbags and jewellery.
“And there are also criminal and civil proceedings against Jho Low, the alleged mastermind behind the 1MDB misappropriation, involving a civil claim worth US$3.78 billion (about RM15.4 billion),” he noted.
Liew said the 1MDB scandal had caused four major categories of losses to the country, namely direct financial losses, opportunity costs, irrecoverable losses and damage to Malaysia’s international reputation.
Earlier, the deputy minister said that as of June 30, the government had paid RM42.5 billion to settle 1MDB’s debts and obligations, including principal repayments, interest, legal and operational costs, and other commitments.
Apart from that, Liew said the government remained liable for RM8.9 billion in Sukuk Islamic Medium Term Notes maturing in 2039, comprising RM5 billion in principal and RM3.9 billion in interest.
“This means the government’s total past and future financial exposure arising from 1MDB amounts to RM51.4 billion,” he said.
The government had recovered RM31.3 billion to date, while the remaining RM20.1 billion would have to be borne by the government unless additional assets were recovered in the future, he added.
