Don't set sail away from Jho Low's yacht seizure, MP tells AG

An Amanah lawmaker has disagreed with attorney-general Mohamed Apandi Ali's stand with regard to the seizure of a superyacht belonging to businessperson Jho Low, which was allegedly acquired using funds misappropriated from 1MDB.

Hanipa Maidin was responding to Apandi's statement that Putrajaya need not make a claim for the superyacht Equanimity seized by Indonesian authorities since Malaysia does not own the vessel.

"It's true that the yacht is not owned by the government nor is it under the government's name.

"But the US Department of Justice's (DOJ) suit on 1MDB is related to the government. Low too is connected to 1MDB, MO1 (Malaysian Official 1) and the government.

"Therefore the government cannot shirk its responsibilities," added the Sepang MP, who is a lawyer.

When asked by Malaysiakini earlier today whether the government would seek the return of Jho Low's yacht, Apandi (photo) retorted: “Why would the government claim something that does not belong to them?”

The DOJ claimed Low, together with several government officials including MO1, had misappropriated funds from 1MDB, which was subsequently laundered through the US financial system.

Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Abdul Rahman Dahlan had confirmed that MO1 was Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak.

However, he said since the prime minister was not named, he is not the subject of investigations.

Najib has also denied abusing public funds for personal gain.

Apart from Low, who is said to be a close friend of Najib's family, the DOJ suits also implicated the wife of MO1 and the prime minister's stepson, Riza Aziz.

Meanwhile, Pokok Sena MP Mahfuz Omar said in view of the latest development, Malaysia can no longer remain silent on the matter.

“The 1MDB issue can no longer be kept under wraps because the stench of this 'dinosaur carcass' has reached all corners of the world.

“Are we not embarrassed that when the entire world is battling corruption and injustice which stemmed from this country, Malaysia continues to keep quiet?” he asked in a statement.

As for Low, the former PAS lawmaker likened the Penang-born millionaire to an “international terrorist” wanted by various countries and expressed puzzlement as to how such an individual was able to rub shoulders with the ruling elites in Malaysia.

“The 1MDB issue is not election fodder for the opposition.

“The seizure of The Equanimity superyacht was not instructed or planned by opposition leaders in collaboration with the US government,” he added in reference to previous claims that the opposition was colluding with certain foreign quarters to topple Najib from power. -Mkini