DID JHO LOW MISUSE THE AGONG’S NAME TO GET HIS DEALS? CAN NAJIB – THE FATHER OF 1MDB – NOT KNOW ABOUT IT ESPECIALLY WHEN TRANSFORMING TIA INTO 1MDB?

 Former Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak arrives at Kuala Lumpur High Court Complex September 10, 2019. Picture by Yusof Mat Isa

KUALA LUMPUR – The palace had expressed concerns over the roleplayed by  businessman Low Taek Jho in the Terengganu Invesment Authority (TIA) which later became 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), the High Court heard today in Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s corruption trial.

Najib’s lawyer Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah read out excerpts from the minutes of the second TIA meeting that was held on June 30, 2009 in the Parliament building, including Istana Negara’s views.

“Wakil Istana Negara mempersoalkan siapa dan peranan Encik Jho Low. Pihak Istana Negara khuatir ada pihak yang telah menyalahgunakan nama SPB Yang di-Pertuan Agong,” Shafee read aloud the meeting minutes written in Bahasa Malaysia.

(Translation: Istana Negara representative questioned who and what role Jho Low has. Istana Negara is worried that there are quarters that have misused the name of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.)

At that time, Terengganu ruler Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin was the country’s Yang di-Pertuan Agong.

Shafee noted that Najib’s former special officer Datuk Amhari Efendi Nazaruddin was recorded as present in the meeting where Low’s role was raised.

Amhari, who is the eighth prosecution witness in Najib’s trial, told Shafee that he did not remember this point being discussed during the 2009 meeting.

Today is the sixth day of Najib’s trial over 1MDB.

Trial will resume before High Court judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah this afternoon.

Najib is facing four counts of abusing his position for his own financial benefit totalling almost RM2.3 billion allegedly originating from 1MDB and the resulting 21 counts of money-laundering.

– ANN