Guan Eng: Goh Gaik Kim says she's not Jho Low's aunt

The company secretary of TRX City Sdn Bhd, Goh Gaik Kim is not the aunt of fugitive businessperson Low Taek Jho or Jho Low, says the Finance Ministry.

Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng (above) said Gaik Kim has denied that she is Jho Low's aunt and that he is her nephew.

"However, we are still investigating the matter. We will issue an official statement on the matter once our probe is completed," he told Malaysiakini when contacted.

A report in The Edge today intrigued the nation when it alleged that Gaik Kim, who has been holding the post of company secretary at TRX City since end-March 2011, was Jho Low's aunt.

It was also reported that Gaik Kim is purportedly the younger sister of Low's mother, Evelyn Goh Gaik Ewe.

Penang-born Jho Low and his parents, Low Hock Peng and Evelyn Goh, are wanted by police to assist in the probe of sovereign-wealth fund 1MDB.

Quoting sources, the report said that Gaik Kim was also the company secretary to the TRX City's parent company, 1MDB, but the financial newspaper indicated that Gaik Kim (below) had likely left 1MDB in early April 2016.

Gaik Kim may not have been involved in the 1MDB scandal, but questions of conflict of interest arise as Jho Low and his parents are wanted by police.

She is said to have over 20 years of experience as a company secretary, but her alleged links as relatives of Jho Low are in question as company secretaries have access to major decisions of a company.

Malaysiakini is trying to contact Gaik Kim for comments.

1MDB has been under seige since the last general election last May as investigations have revealed that an alleged US$681 million (RM2.6 billion) from the US$3 billion funds were transferred to an account belonging to former premier Najib Abdul Razak.

The US$3 billion, underwritten by Goldman Sachs as 10-year bond in 2013, was meant for the development of Tun Razak Exchange, but it was reportedly swindled.

Najib is currently facing trial over the controversy surrounding the RM2.6 billion donation, purportedly received from the late Saudi monarch, King Abdullah Abdulaziz Al Saud.

He had claimed that the unused portion of the money, amounting to US$620 million, was returned to the Saudis.

 - Mkini