Why did Jho Low issue statement if yacht not his, asks DAP

Looi Sue-Chern Looi Sue-Chern Updated 8 years ago · Published on 2 Mar 2018 2:21PM · 7 Comments

DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng has questioned why would Jho low issue a statement after The Equanimity was seized if the yacht was not his. – The Malaysian Insight pic by David ST Loh, March 2, 2018.

IF the RM1 billion super yacht, The Equanimity, did not belong to financier Low Taek Jho, why would the businessman issue a statement about it after the vessel was seized by Indonesian authorities, asked the DAP.

This question by DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng was to Communications and Multimedia Minister Salleh Said Keruak who said yesterday there was no proof that the vessel belonged to Low or money from 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) was used to purchase it.

“No proof that the vessel belongs to Low? Then why did he (Low) issue a statement criticising the US Department of Justice (DoJ) for seizing it?

“If even Low did not deny that the yacht belonged to him or maybe his company, why are Umno ministers denying it?,” said Lim.

Apart from Salleh, Lim pointed out that second finance minister Johari Abdul Ghani was quoted as saying that he did not know what would happen to The Equanimity as the vessel was not a property of the government.

After The Equanimity was seized in Bali, Indonesia on Wednesday, Low accused the DoJ of “global overreach”.

A spokesperson for the fugitive businessman said despite staying asset forfeiture proceedings, the DoJ had continued its “deeply flawed and politically-motivated” allegations of impropriety.

“It is therefore disappointing that rather than reflect on the deeply flawed and politically-motivated allegations, the DoJ is continuing with its pattern of global overreach – all based on entirely unsupported claims of wrongdoing.”

Low, who is popularly known as Jho Low, is said to be Prime Minister Najib Razak’s confidante and business adviser. He is also said to have close ties with several ministers.

He has been named by DoJ as the mastermind in a scheme to siphon billions of dollars from the state investment fund. It is alleged that the yacht was among various luxury assets purchased using money from 1MDB, a brainchild of Najib.

The DoJ has launched a criminal investigation into funds allegedly siphoned off from 1MDB and has sought to delay civil suits filed in the past two years to forfeit more than US$1 billion (RM4.3 billion) in real estate and other assets.

Opposition leaders have questioned what the Malaysian government planned to do following the seizure of the vessel.

“The US DoJ has seized the yacht on the behalf of Malaysians. The boat was bought using money from corruption.

“Why is the government not interested in the super yacht?

“By right, representation should be made by the Malaysian government as the yacht belongs to the people. It can be sold and the money returned to the people,” said Lim who is also Penang chief minister.

He said he felt personally embarrassed about the matter as beneath the vessel’s name, was the mention of George Town. Jho Low is from Penang.

“A super yacht that cost RM1 billion. How can such a young man afford a super yacht like that,” he said, referring to Jho Low, who is in his 30s.

“Is that not a cause for a serious investigation? Why is MACC not investigating?

Lim said it appeared like there are efforts to cover up the matter, adding that the failure by MACC to investigate would be a black mark for the anti-graft agency. – March 2, 2018.

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Comments

  • The "George Town" name mentioned under the name Equanimity on the hull of the yacht signifies the port of registry, which is George Town, Cayman Islands, not Georgetown Penang. The CM of Penang should check his facts before issuing such statements.

    Posted 8 years ago by Léon Moch · Reply

    • Lean to be logic if the Super Yacht belong to you why should Jho Low be so low to open his mouth.

      Posted 8 years ago by Mohanarajan murugeson · Reply

    • If you meant learn to be logical, I think you should practise it because what I mentioned before has nothing to do with whether the yacht belongs to Jho Low. It is correcting a factual mistake made by CM Lim, i.e., George Town on the hull of the ship is the port registry as anyone can check online because the ship is registered with the Cayman Islands registry. That means in international law, the ship flies the flag of Cayman Islands which is the flag State in this case. This has nothing to do with who owns the ship. Certainly if Jho Low made the statement, it would appear that he has interest in the ship.

      Posted 8 years ago by Léon Moch · Reply

  • No need to clarify. The entire Malaysian population including the rest of the world know who the owner is except for very stupid umno politicians who think there are other stupid people in Malaysia. It's disgusting that the AG completely disregards his duties to favour a corrupt MO1.

    Posted 8 years ago by Alphonz Jayaraman · Reply

    • Very true. We have stupid people working as our ministers making all sorts of foolish statements. That's the team our PM is leading.

      Posted 8 years ago by Tanahair Ku · Reply

  • Opposition MPs should highlight this asset which is seized by DOJ. The claimant is rightfully the Msian citizens. There must be something inside that vessel...secret documentations?
    Get it searched as soon as possible befire the evidence is erased.

    Posted 8 years ago by Jeremy Liang · Reply

  • It must be one of the strangest phenomena of the time that while two countries have pounced on a billion-ringgit super yacht with great zeal, the country actually owning it is keeping away from it with a ten foot pole.
    Obviously, there is something wrong. Why is the owner averse of its own prime asset?
    The US government has already declared that it will return assets seized from the thieves of 1MDB (which includes the yacht Equanimity) to host Malaysia. Why is Malaysia not accepting the offer? Worse, Malaysia has even developed a phobia of these assets, as demonstrated in the Equanimity case.
    Will Prime Minister Najib Razak please explain to the nation his strange behaviour with respect to stolen assets derived from the country’s own sovereign wealth fund 1MDB?
    As a reminder, the US government has stated that its investigation has shown that more than US$4.5 billion was stolen from 1MDB, of which the US government is seizing US$1.7 billion through the courts.

    Posted 8 years ago by Kim quek · Reply