The government welcomes effort by anyone who can establish contact with the fugitive Jho Low and bring him home, said Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

The prime minister was responding to an offer made by former defence minister Hishammuddin Hussein to use his contacts to trace the whereabouts of Low and bring him back to Malaysia to face justice.

“I don’t have to take (Hishammuddin's) offer, if he wants to do it he can do it. Anybody who thinks they can contact Jho Low and bring him home we will accept,” Mahathir told Malaysian media at the end of his two-day visit to Thailand today.

He said Hishammuddin could track the businessman on his own effort.

Mahathir has been in Bangkok on a two-day visit since yesterday and held a bilateral meeting with his Thai counterpart Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha where they discussed various issues of common interest including the southern Thai peace process.

Mahathir was also asked on the suggestion by the Johor’s crown prince for the funds for the building of the crooked bridge in Johor to be spent on other beneficial projects like hospitals.

The prime minister rejected criticism that the crooked bridge project was a waste of money.

“Whether the funds are used well would be determined by the people and their government. We don't question other people making money for themselves, that is their right. We are not wasting anybody's money,” he said.

The money to build the bridge, said Mahathir, could be recovered through various methods such as tolls and others.

The prime minister said there was a necessity to build a third bridge linking Johor Bahru and Singapore and the crooked bridge did not require the consent of the Singaporean government. - Bernama