LOW Thaek Jho, a central figure in the 1MDB scandal, is being protected by China and living in hotel suites and luxury apartments in a number of Chinese cities, The Wall Street Journal reports.

His extradition is now the top-most item on Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s agenda when he lands in Beijing today.

Low, better known as Jho Low, has been roaming in China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau, Inspector-General of Police Fuzi Harun said in July.

Last month, reports said Low was arrested in China, which Fuzi refuted.

Shortly after the historic May 9 elections, in which Pakatan Harapan ousted the Barisan Nasional government and prime minister Najib Razak, Low made plans to flee Macau, the WSJ quoted sources as saying.

Low is moving around mainland China, Hong Kong and the commercial capital, Shanghai, with his wife, two young children and close associates, the financial daily said.

Dr Mahathir, who heads PH, is scheduled to meet President Xi Jinping, and would most likely request Beijing’s help to arrest the man at the centre of the 1Malaysia Development Bhd debacle.

However, the prime minister has also rattled China when Putrajaya moved to suspend a number of Chinese-funded projects inked by the Najib administration, such as the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) and the Multi-Product Pipeline (MPP) and Trans-Sabah Gas Pipeline (TSGP).

The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission has also raided companies linked to the MPP and TSGP projects as part of a probe into 1MDB, a brainchild of Najib.

Last week, Malaysia seized Equanimity, saying that the DoJ confirms that Low bought the yacht with funds siphoned off 1MDB.

Equanimity is one of the assets, including paintings, jewelleries and movie rights amounting to US$1.7 billion (RM6.9 billion), allegedly bought with misappropriated 1MDB funds that the DoJ is seeking to recover in civil forfeiture suits. – August 17, 2018.