Home minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said Malaysian authorities were working closely with international enforcement agencies to verify Low’s exact whereabouts.

“I want to emphasise that the ministry, through the police, is maintaining close and ongoing cooperation with international law enforcement agencies.

“So far, claims about his location and use of a fake passport have not been backed by any verified or credible evidence.

“These remain claims by the journalists in question,” he told a press conference after visiting the National Scam Response Centre at Sasana Kijang, Bank Negara Malaysia.

The claims were made by investigative journalists Bradley Hope and Tom Wright, who said they gathered evidence from various sources and newly uncovered documents which showed that Low was living in a mansion in Green Hills, an “ultra high-end neighbourhood” in Shanghai.

They added that Low was using a fake Australian passport under the Greek name “Constantinos Achilles Veis” to hide his identity.

Hope and Wright also claimed that Low was now working as a “behind-the-scenes strategist for the Chinese government”. His role allegedly includes helping sanctioned companies from China “navigate difficulties around the world”.

Hope and Wright are former Wall Street Journal journalists who broke many of the key early 1MDB stories and co-wrote the book “Billion Dollar Whale” about the scandal.

On Tuesday, Wright alleged that Low had used the fake Australian passport to register a company in the UK.

The firm, called Wisdom Opensto Technology Service Enterprise Ltd, is said to have been incorporated on March 13, with a registered office in Cardiff, South Glamorgan.