In a statement issued in response to a press conference held by the Sultanah’s lawyers earlier today, Sarawak Report clarified that the passage in the book, “The Sarawak Report: The Inside Story of the 1MDB Expose”, did not in any way suggest that the Sultanah was “in a conspiracy” with fugitive businessman Low Taek Jho (Jho Low) or “involved in government administration in the 1MDB affair”.

Neither does it suggest that the Sultanah was in any way personally connected with the Terengganu Investment Authority (TIA) (of which her husband was chairman of the advisory board) let alone 1MDB, it said.

“The book does relay information that Jho Low boasted of mixing socially with the royal family and herself and, as with many of his business ventures, cited his social connections as opening doors to opportunities, such as his obtaining an advisory position on the TIA.

“We note that the connection between Jho Low and the Terengganu royal family was in fact far closer to the sister of the Sultan, with whom Jho Low was directly connected in a business sense, and her husband, and on this basis later print runs of the book have removed the reference to the wife of the sultan and instead refer to the sister of the sultan as being Jho Low’s prime social connection in Terengganu.

“However, in neither case does the book suggest impropriety on the part of such contacts of Jho Low’s and nor do we suggest that Jho Low’s engagement as an adviser of the fund was in itself a corrupt act. What was corrupt was the later theft of money from 1MDB, which was after the fund had been transferred from the purview of Terengganu altogether and had evolved into 1MDB,” Sarawak Report said.

Earlier today, the Sultanah’s lawyer said that she would be filing a suit against Clare Rewcastle-Brown over the Sarawak Report editor’s book on the 1MDB scandal.

“The suit involved allegations of her Royal Highness Sultanah Nur Zahirah’s conspiracy with Low Taek Jho (Jho Low) and her involvement in government administration in the 1MDB affair,” a statement from the lawyer said.

Rewcastle-Brown previously claimed that the Sultanah had misunderstood the content of her book on the 1MDB scandal.

Sarawak Report said offence had been taken for something that was not implied.

“Furthermore, if the Sultanah says she does not remember meeting Jho Low, we are happy to accept her position on that. Her sister-in-law most certainly did, but we do not imply either here or in the book that there was impropriety in that relationship either.

“We suspect this matter has been deliberately misinterpreted to the Sultanah by people seeking to cause trouble and assure her that a careful reading of the short passage should make it clear there is no allegation made against anyone in the Terengganu royal family regarding the 1MDB affair, which took place after any involvement by the state ceased in that fund,” Sarawak Report said.