KUALA LUMPUR: The government is working hard to bring home fugitive financier Low Taek Jho or Jho Low, who is wanted over investigations into scandals connected to 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) funds.
Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said the task is difficult as his whereabouts is not known.
“I would not know (where is Jho Low). However, we are working hard to bring him back. We are getting information, which is not easy to obtain.
“I am told that he carries several passports and he may have done alterations (plastic surgery to) his face. But all these are rumours.
“I have no proof. But it could happen and that makes it difficult for us to trace him,” he told reporters when asked if Jho Low was hiding in countries located in the western or eastern parts of the world.
Dr Mahathir was also asked on the statement by Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Tan Sri Abdul Hamid Bador, who had recently said the country where Jho Low is hiding refused to cooperate with the authorities.
“We can go to war but we will lose, and subsequently lose (track of) Jho Low,” he said in jest.
“We are conscious that we are not a very strong nation. Sometimes, people are nice to us and on some other occasion, they are not. We have to accept that.”
Dr Mahathir maintained that he did not know where Jho Low was although the police are aware of the fugitive financier’s whereabouts.
“He (IGP) has not told me where he had found him. So I would not know. It is not like every time he knows where Jho Low supposed to be, he would raise it with me.
“It is not like that. Only once in a while he will report to me.”
Dr Mahathir also lambasted Umno president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi who was reported to have blamed the Attorney-General’s Chambers on several cases, including the decision by Sessions Court which had allowed the application to dismiss two charges related to Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) against Seremban Jaya assemblyman P Gunasekaran.
“Previously, when his boss (Umno leader allegedly engaged in money laundering) had stolen money, he did not blame anyone for it.
“And now (after becoming an opposition member of parliament), he had started blaming others.
“Please remind yourself why you (Barisan Nasional and Umno) lost (in the 14th general election). You lost because you did not blame your boss.”
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