Prime Minister Ismail Sabri must explain whether he was informed and approved Attorney General Idrus Harun’s decision to allow the Attorney-General Chambers and unnamed government agencies to meet representatives of wanted fugitive Jho Low. Apparently key relevant Ministries remain in the dark of this meeting leading to troubling questions whether the decision to meet Jho Low’s representatives was done unilaterally and arbitrarily by Idrus.
If Ismail is ignorant of the matter, can Idrus act independently of the government on such an important policy matter? If Ismail is aware and sanctioned Idrus to allow the meeting with Jho Low’s representatives, then does Ismail possess the authority to do so without Cabinet approval, since key Ministries were left in the dark. Ismail must come clean on this confused state of affairs to prevent wild speculation that will only jeorpardize ongoing action not only against those responsible in the 1MDB scandal but also recovery of its financial assets.
Instead of trying to nab Jho Low as he is statutorily bound and legally required to do so, Idrus has chosen to allow the Attorney General Chambers to meet Jho Low’s representatives. Did the Attorney-General Chamber convey to Jho Low’s representatives that the Malaysian government strongly advises Jho Low to surrender himself to the Malaysian authorities?
Unless Idrus gives a full account of this disgraceful affair, he is clearly unqualified to be the Attorney-General. Further, Idrus by appearing prepared to cut a deal with Jho Low would be no different from forgiving and absolving Jho Low of his crimes and pernicious role as one of the key masterminds of the RM52 billion 1MDB financial scandal, the largest in global history.
Not only will Malaysia be an object of opprobrium and shame, but criminals involved in corruptly stealing money can escape punishment merely by surrendering a part of their ill-gotten gains. With Malaysia’s position in the Transparency International Corruption Perception Index declining to the lowest level of 62 in 2022 from 57 last year, any such deal would corrode and erode Malaysia’s currently poor corruption standing even further.