Wisma Putra ready to bring back Jho Low – Hishammuddin

by BERNAMA / pic by TMR FILE

THE Foreign Ministry is ready to assist in bringing back Low Teak Jho or Jho Low (picture) to this country if his location has been identified, said its minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein.

The Sembrong Member of Parliament said there was no reason for the ministry not to do so if it was informed on the location of the fugitive businessman by the police.

Until now, he said Jho Low’s whereabouts could not be ascertained including the possibility that is in China, as claimed by RSN Rayer (PH-Jelutong) when interjecting his winding-up speech of the Supply Bill 2021 at the Dewan Rakyat today.

“Firstly, we don’t know whether or not he is in China. Secondly, if the police have informed Wisma Putra of his exact location, there is no reason why Wisma Putra cannot assist in bringing him back to be brought to justice,” he said.

Responding to a question from Khoo Poay Tiong (PH-Kota Melaka) on allegations that Malaysian students were not allowed to return to their campuses in China even though the learning session has started, Hishammuddin said the issue would be discussed with the Higher Education Ministry.

“On our part, we will continue to communicate and discuss with China on matters pertaining to these students,” he said.

Meanwhile, on Rohingya refugees and UNHCR cardholders in the country, Hishammuddin reiterated that efforts to repatriate or relocate them to a third country remained Wisma Putra’s top priority.

“We will continue to give priority through the ASEAN platform so that Myanmar will implement the suggestions together with UNHCR because previously, we accepted these refugees on UNHCR’s guarantee that they will be relocated to third countries.

“We will use various platforms such as bilateral with Bangladesh and Myanmar, regional with ASEAN, multilateral with the United Nations and country’s of the same stand with us like Indonesia to find the solution to Rohingya issues,” he said.

Touching on COVID-19 issue, Hishammuddin expressed his appreciation to the Foreign Ministry’s staff and all frontliners who have worked hard to free the country from the pandemic.

He said during the peak of the pandemic, the Foreign Ministry managed to bring back 26,870 Malaysians to this country as a result of efforts and hard work of about 300 frontliners at the Wisma Putra and Malaysian representatives around the world.