US president Donald Trump signed an executive order freezing the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act on Monday.

CBS News reported that the executive order places a 180-day “pause” to all investigations under the FCPA while they are being reviewed.

In a post on X, Tom Wright, who co-penned Billion Dollar Whale, a book centred on alleged 1MDB scandal mastermind Low Taek Jho, or Jho Low, wrote: “No chance now Malaysia will get its billions from Goldman”.

One of Wright’s followers on X said, however, that Putrajaya was still “painting rosy pictures” that Trump’s administration would not hinder Malaysia’s effort to reclaim its money, to which Wright replied: “Goldman already dragging feet”.

In a separate reply, he also said the investment banking and wealth management firm will likely be emboldened by the political climate to slow down the pursuit of a settlement, even if one is being reached.

In November last year, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim demanded that Goldman Sachs honour its settlement with Putrajaya over its role in the 1MDB scandal.

It was previously reported that Goldman Sachs had agreed to make payment in two parts – a cash payment of US$2.5 billion within 10 days, and a guarantee that assets worth US$1.4 billion will be recovered within five years.

1MDB asset recovery taskforce chairman Johari Ghani said the lack of clarity in an agreement entered between Putrajaya and Goldman Sachs in 2020 is allowing the bank to evade the full extent of its responsibilities to the government in the recovery of 1MDB assets.

He said the New York-based investment bank is taking advantage of ambiguities in the document to sidestep a US$1.4 billion asset recovery guarantee given to the government.