Malaysia after playboy’s blood

– Baby-faced playboy Jho Low, a financier at the centre of Malaysia’s 1MDB mega-scandal, may find his days of hobnobbing with celebrities and splurging on property and art are numbered as the new government pledges to bring him to justice.

Suspected of being a key figure in one of the world’s biggest frauds, along with ousted leader Najib Razak and his cronies, the chubby, bespectacled businessperson has become a light-

Kuala Lumpur

ning rod for public fury at the controversy.

He led a high-rolling lifestyle after allegedly stealing huge sums from 1MDB. He hung out with celebrities such as Leonardo DiCaprio, partied with Paris Hilton, and reportedly spent vast sums in New York’s hottest nightspots.

As investigations into the controversy accelerated, the Malaysian took to a luxury yacht allegedly bought with stolen cash and sailed around Asia, until the vessel was seized off Bali recently as part of 1MDB-linked probes.

But time could be running out for the flamboyant 36-year-old after Najib’s scandal-mired coalition suffered a shock defeat at the May 9 poll in large part due to public anger at 1MDB.

The new government, headed by Najib’s ex-mentor Mahathir Mohamad, has reopened probes into the sophisticated fraud and wants to haul Jho Low back to Malaysia. – AFP