Jho Low, a fugitive Malaysian financier accused of masterminding the 1MDB financial fraud, submitted a pardon application to former US President Donald Trump earlier this year. The request, classified as a "Pardon after Completion of Sentence," is currently listed as pending on the US Department of Justice website [1, 2, 3, 4, 5].
Low was charged in 2018 with embezzling at least US$4.5 billion from Malaysia’s sovereign wealth fund, 1MDB, which siphoned funds between 2009 and 2015. Federal prosecutors say about US$2 billion was paid as bribes to foreign officials, including former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak, who has been convicted. An additional US$1 billion went as kickbacks to other scheme participants, and Low allegedly pocketed US$1.42 billion [1, 3, 4, 6].
Since the 2018 charges, Low has evaded arrest and remains at large [1, 3, 4]. Goldman Sachs bankers Tim Leissner and Roger Ng were convicted for their roles in the scandal. Leissner pleaded guilty in 2022 and began serving a two-year prison sentence in February 2025. He also requested a US pardon last year [1, 3].
Unverified reports surfaced on May 13 that Low's pardon application was filed with Trump. Malaysia’s Cabinet decided to discuss the matter at its next meeting after that date [2, 7, 4]. On May 15, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said the government would neither oppose nor support the pardon request, calling it "a non-issue." He added, "As far as we are concerned, we are not going that route... but of course, what the US decides is their own business" [8, 9, 5, 10, 11].
However, Trade Minister Johari Abdul Ghani stated opposition to any pardon and urged the US to help recover funds and locate Low. Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil said on May 14 that Low should face justice in Malaysia and "should not be given any consideration for pardon because the damage and hardship he brought upon the country are far too great" [7, 4, 6].
Separately, Malaysian police began investigating claims that Low may have been in Malaysia in late 2025. Inspector-General Datuk Seri Mohd Khalid Ismail said authorities have yet to verify the reports and will take appropriate action [12].
Low’s pardon application remains under review in the US, while Malaysia balances political positions amid ongoing law enforcement efforts to locate him.
