The government does not know the whereabouts of Jho Low and therefore is not holding direct negotiations with the fugitive businessperson, according to Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

This contradicted Inspector-General of Police Abdul Hamid Bador's statement that Low was on an island, which he did not name. 

In an interview with the Financial Times, Mahathir was asked if Putrajaya is conducting direct negotiations with Low to retrieve 1MDB-linked assets. 

“No (negotiations with Low). We have no contact with him. We don’t even know where he is,” replied the premier.

This came on the back of a settlement reached between Low (photo) and US authorities.

Mahathir also did not respond directly when asked if Low's deal with the US - which would bring the Department of Justice's total retrieval of assets and funds linked to the scandal to over U$$1 billion - came as a surprise.

“Well, the amount (allegedly misappropriated from 1MDB by Low) is much bigger.

“This is only a part of the money made used of by Low to buy properties [...] so we are still going after the rest of the money,” he said.

The US deal, however, does not release Low and his family of any criminal culpability in the scandal.

IGP: Low on an island

In June, last year, Mahathir stated Malaysia did not have extradition arrangements in the country in which Low is believed to be hiding. 

Mahathir’s close advisor, former Council of Eminent Persons (CEP) chairperson Daim Zainuddin (below), too, claimed last year that Malaysian authorities knew Low’s whereabouts. 

He said Low had contacted his officers seeking a deal for immunity in exchange for his locating 1MDB-linked assets. 

In recent days, it was reported that Low had secured a Cyprus citizenship. It was also claimed he was hiding in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). 

However, Hamid had denied this.

“I’m using a lot of ways to bring him back, not just official [...] semi-official ways as well.

“My patience has limits when I’m negotiating with the said country because we gave them our full cooperation in all issues on policing.

“I’m extremely disappointed when my request isn’t entertained, and they give excuses like ‘he went through plastic surgery’, ‘he has left and gone to Cyprus’ or ‘he has gone to UAE’, which doesn’t make sense at all,” the police chief told a press conference today.