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Freeing Uighurs may dim chances of netting Jho Low
Published:  Oct 22, 2018 12:38 PM
Updated: 6:21 AM

Describing the ties between Putrajaya and Beijing as cold, the Nikkei Asian Review said this could hamper the hunt for Jho Low, who is accused of being the mastermind of the 1MDB scandal.

Since coming into power, Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad's administration has cancelled several lucrative projects involving China firms.

Earlier this month, Putrajaya brought down the temperature a few more degrees following its decision to free 11 ethnic Uighurs and send them to Turkey despite China's protest.

The 11 were arrested by former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak's government, which had enjoyed a warm relationship with Beijing.

The men were detained and charged with illegally entering Malaysia after escaping from a Thai prison last November.

"Mahathir suggested recently that Low may be hiding in China, and has managed to evade capture due to efforts within his own government to sabotage the hunt. But even if Low is found in China, Malaysia does not have an extradition treaty with the country.

"The situation may be further muddled after Malaysia freed 11 ethnic Uighur Muslims, who had been detained by the Najib regime, and sent them to Turkey, despite requests from China to hand them over. China has been criticised for infringing the human rights of ethnic Uighur people, a charge that Beijing denies.

"If Malaysia's move ends up straining ties with China, some see the chance of catching Low may dim," the Nikkei Asian Review report says.

In a recent media interview, Mahathir's confidant and former chairperson of the Council of Eminent Persons (CEP), Daim Zainuddin, revealed that Low has managed to evade the dragnet due to moles in the government still loyal to the previous administration.

"He (Low) has his people everywhere – using taxpayers' money. He was able to hire the best lawyers in town. I was told he spent more than US$40 million (about RM166 million) on legal fees alone," Daim had said.

On Oct 13, inspector-general of police Mohamed Fuzi Harun denied that his personnel were sabotaging the hunt.

As to Low's whereabouts, Fuzi had said the fugitive Penang-born financier had slipped into Macau from Hong Kong.

"From Macau, we don't know where he went," he added.

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