KUALA LUMPUR (Nov 6): No records have been found showing that Penang-born billionaire Low Taek Jho, more commonly known as Jho Low, has changed his name to Tan Kim Loong or Eric Tan Kim Loong, says the Ministry of Home Affairs.
 
In a written reply to Datuk Kamaruddin Jaffar (PKR-Tumpat) in Dewan Rakyat, the ministry also said Jho Low remains a Malaysian citizen.
 
“Based on Malaysian National Registration Department (JPN) records, the individual named Low Taek Jho has been issued with a birth certificate and MyKad, because he was born in Malaysia and is a Malaysian citizen.
 
“Further reviews found that there were no records of an application for a change of name for Low Taek Jho to Tan Kim Loong or Eric Tan Kim Loong, in the identity card issued by the department,” the ministry said in the reply dated Nov 2, which was released to lawmakers today.
 
“According to travel document, search results from the Malaysian Immigration Department shows that Low Taek Jho was issued with a Malaysia international passport,”the ministry said, without disclosing Low's current whereabouts.
 
Kamaruddin had asked the ministry as to whether or not the JPN or the immigration department had issued any identity documents to Low, in the name of Tan Kim Loong or Eric Tan Kim Loong.
 
In early January, during court proceedings against former Falcon Private Bank branch manager Jens Fred Sturzenegger, Singaporean prosecutors revealed that Low was the one “orchestrating the transactions” in four accounts at the bank, although the beneficial owner was one Eric Tan Kim Loong.
 
A total of US$1.265 billion flowed into two of the accounts between March 21 and 25 in 2013. These were facts that formed the 16 charges filed against Sturzenegger .
 
According to the facts, Sturzeneggar had been in communication with the email address [email protected], but later discovered he was actually corresponding with Low.
 
When the two met, Low was said to have revealed he used the name Eric Tan on some occasions for "security" purposes.
 
Falcon is owned by Abu Dhabi’s Aabar Investments PJS, and its operations in Singapore has since been shut by the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) for being used for money laundering transactions, with money that originated from 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB).
 
The US Department of Justice had previously said money that flowed into the accounts at Falcon originated from proceeds raised via US$3.0 billion worth of bonds issued by 1MDB Global Investments Ltd in March 2013.