SHAH ALAM - Low Taek Jho or Jho Low needs to stand trial against the mountains of evidence against him and serve out his sentence to its fullest degree if and when found guilty.
Acting Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Centre to Combat Corruption and Cronyism (C4 Centre), Pushpan Murugiah said it is important for the government to show seriousness in combating corruption but, more importantly, to prove that the country's wheels of justice are working.
"Justice must not only be served but must also be seen to be served - anything short of Jho Low's prompt return to Malaysia and immediate legal proceedings against him will diminish public confidence in the justice system, more so than the last few years of turbulent governance already have.
"It is also notable that the 1MDB scandal was clearly used to benefit Umno politicians. The current government must show that political alliances must remain secondary to the anti-corruption agenda.
"However, it must be said that Jho Low's mere return is not enough - he needs to stand trial against the mountains of evidence against him and serve out his sentence to its fullest degree if and when found guilty," he said to Sinar Daily.
He was responding to the death of Kee Kok Thiam, a key figure in the 1MDB case who provided information on the whereabouts of fugitive Jho Low.
It was reported that the cause of death was a sudden massive stroke.
Therefore, he urged the government to ensure this matter remains a "top priority' since all evidence points to Low's central role in orchestrating one of Malaysia's biggest corruption cases and he must be brought back to face his charges.
"The world is watching the commitment and sincerity of the government in repatriating him, especially after Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's promises to stamp out corruption.
"The 1MDB scandal impoverished Malaysians and undermined our trust in institutions, so we all wish to see justice served," he said.
Pushpan further said that the government must expedite the process in order to bring closure to the case that has made Malaysia a household name for all the wrong reasons.
"After so many years of grappling with the difficulties in locating and securing Jho Low, even after four governments, we are finally presented with an opportunity to seize him for good.
"The Malaysian government cannot compromise and must do everything in its power to bring him back to face the full force of prosecutions and must be uncompromising to meet this goal, regardless of whoever the other government we are negotiating with is.
"While we understand that this is possibly a sensitive geopolitical issue and that delays could be inevitable, the outcome must be justice and accountability to their fullest extent," he reasoned.
Jho Low was charged in Malaysia and the United States for allegedly being the mastermind of the embezzlement of USD 4.5 billion of 1MDB funds.