Fugitive in Rp 78 Trillion Mega-Corruption Scandal Suddenly Begs Trump for Pardon – How Could That Happen?
Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia - The fugitive in Malaysia’s mega-corruption case involving state investment funds, 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), Jho Low, has once again shaken the world. The businessman, a central figure in the scandal worth billions of US dollars, is reported to have submitted a pardon request to US President Donald Trump.
Citing AFP on Wednesday (13/5/2026), Jho Low, whose real name is Low Taek Jho, is officially recorded as having filed a “post-conviction pardon” or pardon after conviction on the US Department of Justice website. This step has immediately drawn international attention because Jho Low remains a fugitive to this day.
It should be noted that the 1MDB scandal relates to state investment funds established in 2009 by former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak. The fund was originally created to promote Malaysia’s economic development but instead became one of the world’s largest corruption cases.
Investigators allege that more than US4.5billion, orapproximatelyRp78.75trillion(atanexchangerateofaroundRp17, 500/US), was embezzled from 1MDB between 2009 and 2015 by several officials and related parties, including Jho Low. Najib Razak himself has been convicted in several corruption cases related to 1MDB and sentenced to prison along with a fine of US$2.8 billion, or about Rp49 trillion.
In various trials, Najib’s defence team has repeatedly named Jho Low as the “mastermind” behind the scheme to plunder state funds. Although charged in the US, Jho Low denies all accusations.
He has been missing for nearly a decade until now. The Malaysian government has also failed to bring him back through extradition processes.
International media have long speculated that Jho Low is hiding in China. This issue has resurfaced coinciding with Donald Trump’s visit to China to meet President Xi Jinping on Wednesday local time.
The 1MDB scandal has rocked Malaysian politics and was one of the causes of the collapse of the Barisan Nasional coalition in the 2018 election. That coalition had been in power since Malaysia’s independence in 1957.
The case has also implicated several global figures and the world’s financial industry. Two former Goldman Sachs bankers were also sentenced in connection with the scandal.
Investigators revealed that the corruption proceeds were used to purchase various luxury assets, from superyachts, elite properties, paintings by Claude Monet and Vincent van Gogh, to funding the Hollywood film “The Wolf of Wall Street”. Actor Leonardo DiCaprio even testified in court about the glamorous lifestyle and lavish parties hosted by Jho Low.
The scandal also ensnared rapper Pras Michel from the hip hop group Fugees. He was found guilty of helping channel 1MDB funds into US politics.