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Joseph Sipalan

The revelation that an alleged Malaysian scam kingpin was released after paying 10 million ringgit (US$2.4 million) fine has sparked public outrage over claims of preferential treatment for a man at the centre of a controversial photo-op with Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.
Liow Soon Hee – better known as Nicky Liow – was cleared of all 26 money-laundering charges involving more than 36 million ringgit, the country’s top prosecutor said on Friday. Authorities earlier believed he led a multimillion ringgit criminal organisation dubbed the “Nicky Gang”.
The Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) said the decision was made after his lawyers filed a request for a settlement as provided for under the relevant laws.
“Based on the overall evidence at hand, and the evaluation and judgment of the prosecution, the department agreed to offer a compound totalling 10 million ringgit,” the AGC said in Friday’s statement.

“The amount was agreed to by Nicky Liow and it was paid on May 29, 2023,” the AGC said. It included the forfeiture of a nearly 650,000 ringgit bond deposited by Liow and assets that were seized by the authorities in connection with his case.
Liow was captured and charged in 2022 after being on the run for a year. Authorities were hunting him following a series of raids on premises linked to the gang.
The raids stemmed from bogus mobile phone sales where money collected from unsuspecting victims was believed to have been funnelled to a mule account controlled by the gang. The syndicate was also linked to a “Macau scam” operation that is alleged to have siphoned money from hundreds of victims.
Back in spotlight
After his charges, the flamboyant 38-year-old with a taste for designer clothing and luxury cars stayed under the radar – until last week, when an image of him and the prime minister went viral. Liow is wearing the youth wing uniform of Anwar’s ruling People’s Justice Party in the photo.
Liow later admitted that he was the man in the picture but denied that he had become a party member. Addressing the outcry, his lawyers said the charges against Liow had nothing to do with money laundering and that he had only failed to fully declare his taxes. That was cleared after he paid 400,000 ringgit in outstanding taxes, according to local media reports.
The revelation triggered a public outcry, with civil society groups demanding that the AGC explain the prosecution’s decision to drop its case against Liow.


The groups, which included electoral watchdog Bersih, Transparency International Malaysia and the Anwar-founded Malaysian Islamic Youth Movement, warned that the action reflected a broader pattern of high-profile corruption cases granted discharges from prosecution.
These include the conditional release of Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi from 47 counts of corruption, criminal breach of trust and money laundering in 2023, and a similar relief for jailed former leader Najib Razak for separate charges of criminal breach of trust and money laundering in 2024 and 2025, according to the groups.
In response, the AGC said the decision to discharge Liow was made in line with the powers and discretion of the Attorney-General as provided for by the federal constitution and relevant laws. It was made without undue influence from external parties or public sentiments, and took into account “the integrity of the prosecution process and the need to ensure transparency in the criminal justice system”.


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Nicky Liow returned to the public eye when a photo of him in the ruling party’s uniform standing next to Prime Minister Anwar went viral


Nicky Liow returned to the public eye when a photo of him in the ruling party’s uniform standing next to Prime Minister Anwar went viral.


Anger in Malaysia as Liow’s money-laundering charges dropped after US$2.4 million fine

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Nicky Liow returned to the public eye when a photo of him in the ruling party’s uniform standing next to Prime Minister Anwar went viral

Nicky Liow returned to the public eye when a photo of him in the ruling party’s uniform standing next to Prime Minister Anwar went viral