PUTRAJAYA, Feb 12 — Tengku Datuk Rahimah Sultan Mahmud, the sister of the Terengganu sultan, said today that she was impressed by Low Taek Jho’s intelligence when they first met in 2008. She also confirmed that Low had claimed to have good ties with then deputy prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak.
Tengku Rahimah, 59, made these statements while testifying as the sixth defence witness in Najib’s trial, in which it is alleged that more than RM2 billion from 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) was funnelled into the former prime minister’s private bank accounts.
Asked by deputy public prosecutor Ahmad Akram Gharib whether Low had ever told her that he had good relations with Najib, who was then the deputy prime minister, Tengku Rahimah said: “As I recall, when we first met, I think it was not mentioned like that. Maybe after that, second or third, maybe there was mention of good relations.”
Asked again if Low had at any time ever impressed upon her that he had good relations with Najib who was then the DPM, Tengku Rahimah replied: “Yes, there was.”
Najib was deputy prime minister of Malaysia from 2004 to April 2009.
Tengku Rahimah said the late Sarawak chief minister Tun Abdul Taib Mahmud’s son-in-law Datuk Syed Ahmad Alwee Alsree, who was Cahya Mata Sarawak’s CEO, had introduced her to Low at the latter’s office in the Petronas Twin Towers at KLCC, Kuala Lumpur.
Describing Low’s office as an “impressive office”, Tengku Rahimah said Low had shared details about his background, qualifications and business ventures.
Recalling her first impression of Low, Tengku Rahimah said: “Yes, I was very impressed by his calm demeanour and intelligence. What stood out most was his ability to articulate and clarify his vision and ideas with remarkable clarity, making his presentation highly persuasive and convincing.
“Despite his confidence, he was not pushy, which made his approach even more effective and engaging,” she said.
Tengku Rahimah also said Low appeared to be a “highly accomplished young man”, adding that “his success was evident not only in his achievements but also in the prestigious location and sophisticated aesthetics of his office in KLCC, which would impress anyone”.
Tengku Rahimah also said she was impressed by Low’s emphasis on having studied at the prestigious Harrow School in the UK and at the renowned Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania in the US.
When asked by Najib’s lead defence lawyer Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah, Tengku Rahimah said she did not doubt that Low was a Wharton graduate, confirming that she was unaware that he was a dropout of Wharton and had only spent two years in Harrow instead of the required five years.
During that first meeting with Low, which she said was a “casual introduction” to him, Tengku Rahimah said Low appeared to be well-connected, and that his “thought process, presentation of ideas and reasoning were exceptionally impressive”.
“Additionally, he supported his arguments with well-presented data, making them highly convincing. He also had a jovial demeanour and a natural ability to put people at ease,” she said.
She said she did not have any reason to doubt Low or his credibility, based on her limited encounter with him then.
