Jho Low denies funding BN but holds charity concert

Flamboyant billionaire Low Taek Jho, or more popularly known as Jho Low, is helping little-known NGO 1Malaysia Welfare Club to organise a charity concert on April 20 in Penang featuring international celebrities including American hip hop singer Swizz Beats and rapper Busta Rhymes.

According to Sin Chew Daily, Low said the charity concert, scheduled to be held at Penang Han Chiang High School, is to raise funds for charity organisations in the state.

The concert, he stressed, will also help to shape a caring community to address the current unhealthy trend of spreading hatred on the Internet which has tarnished Malaysia’s international image.

People from different races, ages and genders will be able to relax and watch a high-quality international concert during the heated campaign period to showcase a stable, harmonious and peaceful society, he explained.

Other artistes who have agreed to perform at the concert include Hong Kong singers Sandy Lam, George Lam, Sally Yeh, and local artists Eric Moo, Ning Baizura and Shila Amzah.

Low said he has the responsibility to leverage on his international experience and influence to help his home country, hence he promised to help the NGO when the latter approached him with the proposal to hold a concert featuring international artistes.

The concert is expected to attract 100,000 people, he added.

On the concert expenses, Low revealed that the performance fees of some artistes are sponsored by wealthy private companies, while the American artistes will take his personal jet to Malaysia and perform for free due to his strong friendship with them.

Fans would have to cut out the concert logo in newspapers to exchange for tickets for a nominal fee of RM1, and all the proceeds will go to charity.

The report did not state whether the concert will feature any BN leaders.

When asked about caretaker Penang Chief Minister and DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng’s statement yesterday that a wealthy individual has put in tens of millions of ringgit for the BN election campaign to topple the Pakatan Rakyat state government, Low said he is unaware of it.

Active in charity work

He stressed that after his grandfather died in February this year, he has been active in charity work to improve the lives of Penangites and advance the state, and he hoped politicians will support his agenda too.

The recently-emerged 1Malaysia Welfare Club had held a free dinner on Saturday in Butterworth featuring BN’s potential candidate for Bagan Jermal state seat, Tay Lay Cheng, as the VIP.

Low was also spotted during the dinner and allowed journalist to take photograph of him and Tay. 

Penang BN had invited South Korean superstar Psy toperform at its Chinese New Year open house in February this year, which had attracted thousands of excited crowd but alsocriticism that the move was aimed to garner support from young voters ahead of the general election. 

Penang-born Low, who is reportedly part of caretaker Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak’s inner circle, is best known for his attempts to woo American socialite Paris Hilton, as well as his hard partying habits with his A-list friends in the United States.

He is the son of a Penang tycoon who reportedly has close links with Middle Eastern investors. 

Locally, he is reportedly involved with the Terengganu Investment Authority (TIA) - now known as the 1Malaysia Development Bhd(1MDB) - and UBG Bhd, which is owned by the family of Sarawak Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud.