In a tweet, Hope said he wanted to start a new search for Low Taek Jho, better known as Jho Low.

“Tips are already streaming in, which we are processing. Help us get the word out to our friends in China.”

Jho Low, who has been charged in Malaysia and the US over allegations that he orchestrated the theft of US$4.5 billion from the state fund, is believed to be in Macau, although Beijing has denied protecting the fugitive financier.

Hope also shared a video of a message Jho Low had sent out to friends and family over a messaging app in early 2017 to give netizens “a taste of Jho Low’s feeling of invincibility”.

In the text, Jho Low refers to 2016 being the “perfect storm” and that the “captain”, with his leadership, weathered the storm and guided his “sailors” to safety. He then wishes everyone a happy new year.

Hope urged the public to get the word out on the search for Jho Low to friends in China using the hashtags #whereisjholow #Malaysia.

Hope’s book, titled “The Billion Dollar Whale: The Man Who Fooled Wall Street, Hollywood and the World”, which he co-wrote with Tom Wright, chronicles the 1MDB corruption scandal, which also paints Jho Low as the alleged mastermind.

His tweet comes a day after the apex court affirmed former prime minister Najib Razak’s conviction and sentence in the SRC International case. SRC International is a former 1MDB subsidiary.

Earlier, DAP chairman Lim Guan Eng urged the government to double down on efforts to catch Jho Low.

He said it was “manifestly unfair and a travesty of justice” that Jho Low, his family and associates connected with the scandal were allowed to roam free while Najib has had his day in court.