KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 5 — Former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak today said he had never made any food for the “slightly pudgy young man” Low Taek Jho – the Malaysian fugitive better known as Jho Low and alleged to be his “mirror image” and alter ego in 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) matters.
Najib today confirmed that Low had gone to his city house at Jalan Langgak Duta here in the past, but sought to clarify their relationship.
“While I do not deny that on certain occasions Jho Low was present at my residence in Langgak Duta, it is important to understand the context of my interactions with him during that time,” he said while testifying in his own defence at the 1MDB trial in which he is charged with misappropriating RM2 billion from the sovereign investment fund.
Najib was explaining why he had placed his confidence and trust in Low, whom he said projected a compelling image of being a “highly capable and well-connected individual” with ties to Malaysian royalty and the royal families of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
“Unfortunately, my trust in Jho Low has been exploited, and I am now being falsely implicated as complicit in his wrongdoing simply because of his presence at my residence and the purported close connection with me – something which was over-sensationalised particularly since Datuk Shahrol, 1MDB’s CEO, himself had visited Jho Low at his residence, so did Jasmine Loo and Joanna Yu too.”
Najib was referring to 1MDB’s former CEO Datuk Shahrol Azral Ibrahim Halmi, 1MDB’s then in-house lawyer Jasmine Loo and AmBank’s then relationship manager Joanna Yu who was in charge of handling Najib’s AmIslamic private bank accounts.
“For the record I never prepared any meals for Jho Low!” Najib said.
Previously, Shahrol had told the 1MDB trial of his full trust in Low, as he had once made ‘nasi goreng’ or fried rice for the latter, and that Low had asked to bring some to Najib and had relayed the then prime minister’s alleged feedback that the fried rice was very good.
Shahrol had also told the 1MDB trial that Low had brought him directly into Najib’s house straight past the guards and shown familiarity with the house layout and staff, and that Low had asked the staff there for “Milo ais” or an iced chocolate malt drink before meeting with Najib.
While Najib said Yu had made soup for Low, the former banker previously told the 1MDB trial that she did not actually cook the soup but had only offered to do so as he was sick.
Two days ago, Najib confirmed that Low has his personal mobile number, but said he had never been to Low’s private residence at Jalan Kia Peng in Kuala Lumpur and was not aware of it.
Among the reasons Najib listed for his trust in Low were:
- Strong endorsements for Low from then Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin of Terengganu who was the reigning Yang di-Pertuan Agong at that time.
- Low showed an exceptional ability to unlock opportunities to benefit Malaysia – such as Abu Dhabi sovereign wealth fund Mubadala’s US$500 million investment in Iskandar, Johor.
- Low’s Middle Eastern ties with the Saudi royal family.
“He facilitated key relationships, including with the late King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia, who honoured me with an Order of Merit Award, the highest civilian award and generously gifted hundreds of millions of dollars as a political donation.”
“Furthermore, Jho Low’s ties to the Saudi royal family proved invaluable during the Arab Spring crisis in Egypt, when he used these connections to facilitate the evacuation of thousands of Malaysians stranded in Egypt to Saudi Arabia without a visa and subsequently back home to Malaysia. Jho Low even secured two Boeing 747 flights to bring the Malaysians home,” he said.
Najib said Low’s ability to establish such high-level connections reinforced his belief that Low could be trusted to advance Malaysia’s interests internationally.
“Also what set this slightly pudgy young man apart was his remarkable charisma and an extraordinary ability to navigate across diverse and influential circles and consistently positioned himself as someone who could deliver results for Malaysia.”
“Another notable example was his advance notice to me that Saudi Arabia had agreed to increase Malaysia’s haj quota by 10,000 which was a special approval given to me upon my written request to His Majesty.
“His cultivated image of professionalism and strategic competence, paired with his persuasive demeanour, made him appear as someone deserving of trust and confidence,” he said.
Najib said he had no reason at that time to doubt Low’s intentions or actions, and that their interactions were always guided by what Najib believed to be in Malaysia’s best interests.
Previously, 1MDB’s former in-house lawyer Jasmine Loo told the 1MDB trial that she would hand over printed 1MDB resolutions – for then finance minister Najib to sign on behalf of 1MDB’s shareholder Finance Ministry – to Low at the gate to Najib’s Langgak Duta house.
Loo also said that she had once waited at the gate where Low collected the documents from her, and that on another occasion, Low came out from Najib’s house and took the documents from her directly.
But Najib today said: “However, just because I trusted Jho Low, it does not mean that I gave him instructions to act as a go-between for myself and the management or directors of 1MDB.
Najib also said that his trust in Low does not mean he authorised the latter to bring those shareholder resolutions to his Langgak Duta house to be signed by him.
“So, if Jho Low had presented himself to my residence at Langgak Duta with such resolutions, I would have certainly questioned why he was involved in such matters,” said Najib, who had earlier this week pointed out that Low had no official position in 1MDB.
Najib challenged Loo’s testimony by saying that she was allegedly Low’s close associate and that she had also served as Low’s lawyer, claiming that it was “highly likely” that she had brought the 1MDB resolutions to the Langgak Duta house for signing as she was purportedly in a scheme with Low and 1MDB management to misappropriate money from 1MDB.
When he signed the 1MDB documents, Najib said he had no reason then to suspect those shareholder resolutions were being used for the alleged “sinister plans” on 1MDB, and that he was just carrying out his routine official duties.
“It is also possible that, as part of the coordinated scheme between Jasmine and Jho Low, and without my knowledge or any indication of sinister intent by my officer, Jho Low may have handed the resolutions to my officer.
“Jho Low could have explained that he picked them up from Jasmine on his way into my residence and offered to pass them along, thereby raising no suspicion with my officer,” Najib suggested.
Among other things, Najib today said he had never set foot in 1MDB’s office.
Najib’s 1MDB trial before judge Datuk Collin Lawrence Sequerah resumes tomorrow morning.
