"Just because I trusted Jho Low, it does not mean that I gave him instructions to act as a go-between for myself and the management or directors of 1MDB. Nor does it mean that I authorised him to bring resolutions, such as special rights redeemable preference shareholder resolutions and minutes by representatives of the holding company, for my signature to my residence at Langgak Duta.”
KUALA LUMPUR (Dec 5): Former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak has said that while “slightly pudgy young man” Low Taek Jho (Jho Low) had “remarkable charisma” and “an extraordinary ability to navigate across diverse and influential circles”, he had never appointed the fugitive businessman to be his go-between for any 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB)-related matters.
Najib’s fourth day on the stand to testify in his defence in the 1MDB-Tanore trial saw him refuting former 1MDB general counsel Jasmine Loo Ai Swan’s witness testimony, where she had said that Jho Low would often go to Najib’s private home in Kuala Lumpur to obtain his signature for 1MDB matters.
The former finance minister sought to clarify this relationship.
“While I do not deny that on certain occasions Jho Low was present at my residence at Langgak Duta, it is important to understand the context of my interactions with him during that time,” Najib said on Thursday, reading from his 525-page witness statement.
“Just because I trusted Jho Low, it does not mean that I gave him instructions to act as a go-between for myself and the management or directors of 1MDB. Nor does it mean that I authorised him to bring resolutions, such as special rights redeemable preference shareholder resolutions and minutes by representatives of the holding company, for my signature to my residence at Langgak Duta,” he said.
“So, if Jho Low had presented himself to my residence at Langgak Duta with such resolutions, I would have certainly questioned why he was involved in such matters,” Najib said.
The former PM said that his trust in Jho Low was exploited, as he is now falsely implicated as being complicit in Jho Low’s schemes.
“Unfortunately, my trust in Jho Low has been exploited, and I am now being falsely implicated as complicit in his wrongdoing, simply because of his presence at my residence and the purported close connection with me — something which was over-sensationalised, particularly since Datuk Shahrol, 1MDB’s CEO, himself had visited Jho Low at his residence, and so did Jasmine Loo and Joanna Yu, too,” Najib said, referring to 1MDB’s former chief executive officer Datuk Shahrol Azral Ibrahim Halmi, Loo, and AmBank’s then relationship manager Joanna Yu Ging Ping.
Najib then said that he did not have a close relationship with Jho Low, unlike Shahrol and Yu, who had made for Jho Low nasi goreng, and soup, respectively.
"Datuk Shahrol’s admission in court that he made nasi goreng for Jho Low...and let us not forget Joanna Yu made Jho Low soup when he was unwell! For the record, I never prepared any meals for Jho Low!” said Najib.
Najib: ‘Slightly pudgy young man’ Jho Low had remarkable charisma
Najib reiterated that Jho Low was a highly capable and well-connected individual who had remarkable charisma.
“Also, what set this slightly pudgy young man apart was his remarkable charisma and an extraordinary ability to navigate across diverse and influential circles, and [he] consistently positioned himself as someone who could deliver results for Malaysia,” Najib said.
“To me, Jho Low’s ability to establish such high-level connections reinforced the belief that he was someone who could be trusted to advance Malaysia’s interests on the international stage,” he said.
Najib said that his trust on Jho Low was built on strong endorsements, which came from the royalty and his track record.
“He came with strong endorsements, including from our King at the time, Tuanku Mizan, and quickly demonstrated an exceptional ability to unlock opportunities that appeared to benefit Malaysia, such as (Abu Dhabu state investment company) Mubadala’s US$500 million investment in Iskandar, Johor,” he said.
Najib also cited Jho Low’s ties to the Saudi royal family, which was leveraged by Malaysia during the Arab Spring crisis in 2011, where Jho Low used these connections to facilitate the evacuation of thousands of Malaysians stranded in Egypt to Saudi Arabia without a visa, and subsequently brought them back home to Malaysia, as well as his influence in getting the Saudi government to increase Malaysia’s haj quota by 10,000, which was a special approval.
“His cultivated image of professionalism and strategic competence, paired with his persuasive demeanour, made him appear as someone deserving of trust and confidence,” Najib said.
“At the time, I had no reason to doubt his intentions or actions. My interactions with him were always guided by what I believed to be in the best interests of Malaysia,” said the former PM.
In the 1MDB-Tanore trial, Najib is charged with four counts of abuse of power in enriching himself with RM2.3 billion of 1MDB funds and 21 counts of money laundering of the same amount. He could face a fine and up to 20 years' imprisonment if convicted.
The trial before presiding judge Datuk Collin Lawrence Sequerah continues on Friday.