PARLIAMENT | De facto law minister Liew Vui Keong has dismissed fugitive financier Jho Low's claim that Malaysia "hijacked" international legal proceedings involving the superyacht Equanimity.

"The seizure of the Equanimity by Malaysia is valid and follows legal procedures as provided by the law in Malaysia. Also, the US government has agreed for the Indonesian government to hand over the vessel to Malaysia.

"So the allegation that we hijacked the proceedings is completely baseless," he said during the Minister's Question Time (MQT) in the Dewan Rakyat today.

Liew was responding to a question from Azalina Othman Said (BN-Pengerang), who asked whether allegations that the Malaysian government's seizure of the Equanimity is invalid and infringes on legal processes of other nations are true.

Last Sunday, Jho Low, through a spokesperson, accused the Malaysian government of "hijacking" the legal proceedings of other countries in order to acquire the 1MDB-linked Equanimity, believed to belong to the financier through a series of intermediaries.

Jho Low, whose full name is Low Taek Jho, also insisted that the seizure of the RM1 billion yacht is illegal.

Azalina later asked Liew whether the government would allow anyone to claim to be the rightful owner of the vessel before it is sold off.

Liew then reminded the House that the government has issued an arrest warrant against the owner of the Equanimity, as stated in the court documents.

"An affidavit has been filed by the government to support the arrest warrant for the defendant and the yacht, so the government is waiting for the return of Low to claim the vessel, if he says it belongs to him.

"So we are always waiting for Low, here," he added.

The Equanimity has been the subject of a custody battle between the US Department of Justice (DOJ) and Indonesia after the DOJ filed a civil forfeiture suit on the US$250 million vessel last year.

The DOJ claimed that the luxury yacht was bought using the proceeds of misappropriated 1MDB funds laundered through the US financial system, and that Jho Low owns the vessel through a series of intermediaries, including Equanimity (Cayman) Ltd.

Indonesia handed over the Equanimity to Malaysia last week and the ship arrived in Port Klang on Aug 7, where it remains docked and guarded.