On May 12, 2026, disgraced financier and alleged 1MDB mastermind Jho Low reportedly submitted a “Pardon after Completion of Sentence” request to the White House, a move that could clear his US criminal liability tied to one of the world’s largest financial scandals. While the request would not affect the separate charges he still faces in Malaysia, it would raise serious questions about Washington’s commitment to financial accountability, anti-corruption enforcement, and the credibility of the US justice system in cross-border corruption cases.
The 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) scandal involved the alleged theft of around RM42 billion ($4.5 billion), with funds moved through global financial networks and spent on luxury real estate, artwork, private jets, yachts, gambling, and even the Hollywood film The Wolf of Wall Street. Malaysia has since recovered more than RM30 billion, over 70 percent of estimated losses, far above the global average
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