Lawyer pens book on reclaiming and selling Jho Low's superyacht

 

The lawyer who led the team that seized back the 1MDB-linked superyacht, Equanimity, for Malaysia, is writing a book about her experience with the case.

Sitpah Selvaratnam (above) said the book, titled "Arrest of The Superyacht Equanimity: How Malaysia Reclaimed What Was Hers" is a short but power-packed read.

The Equanimity is a superyacht that fugitive businessperson Jho Low purchased for US$250 million, using allegedly misappropriated 1MDB funds.

It was seized by Indonesian authorities in February 2018, and handed over to Malaysia in August that year, three months after Pakatan Harapan took over as the federal government.

"The Equanimity was infamous. She was majestic, yet elusive.

"Jho Low had spun an air of mystery about her, with rumours of resplendent parties and celebrities aboard, sailing the seven seas just outside maritime boundaries and the reach of the law.

"She had danced on the minds of maritime lawyers. What a catch she would be, and she had become my catch," reads an excerpt from the book.

Sitpah - who was on site when the ship docked in Port Klang for the first time - said the book will cover the legal team's successes from arresting the ship to getting it sold.

"It's a narrative infused with all my experiences, the emotional roller coasters we faced and the challenges we had to overcome.

"The spirit of joy, courage and sacrifice when there is a common goal, that's a significant thread in the book," she told Malaysiakini.

Sitpah said the book also narrates her experiences being a woman leading a team in a male-dominated industry.

Besides that, she believes the book can serve as a resource for maritime lawyers who want to study how to arrest, manage and sell a superyacht.

"It's no easy feat to get someone to pay so much for a ship," she said.

The book can be pre-ordered at RM88 at Sitpah's website or Facebook page. The book will sell for RM108 once published.

Sitpah said she is self-publishing the book and all the proceeds from the sales would go to charity.

"I have a list of 22 charities - so I will release in rotation as the sales progress," she said.

A seminar to discuss the book, featuring former chief justice Zaki Azmi, is also scheduled to be held on May 5..

The Equanimity is currently owned by Genting Group, which bought the superyacht - now known as the Tranquility - for US$126 million. - Mkini