by Ganesh Sahatheavan
Wong and Partners and Brian Chia's dealing with Jho Low were first revealed by Sarawak Report in 2015.
The nature of those dealings were further explained on this blog:
Law firm Wong & Partners, which is affiliated to international firm Baker & McKenzie, is the legal firm of choice for Jho Low and 1 Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB). They represented 1MDB in the first US$1.0 billion joint-venture transaction with PetroSaudi as well as the subsequent dealings in the Murabahah notes. Wong & Partners was also involved in the drafting of the Memorandum of Articles & Association of 1MDB. The principal partner of Wong & Partners who handled both Jho Low’s and 1MDB business was Brian Chia. A point to note is that Tiffany Heah, who was a legal counsel at UBG Bhd when Jho was a shareholder, had worked at Wong & Partners before joining him. Heah was also at the New York meeting on Sept 7, 2009, where Jho Low met PetroSaudi’s Patrick Mahony for the first time to discuss the joint venture with 1MDB. Another interesting fact is that Chia and two others from Wong & Partners are shareholders of a consultancy and advisory firm called B&M Consultancy Services Sdn Bhd. The shareholders are Chia (33.14%), Adeline Wong Mee Kiat (33.71%) and Chew Kherk Ying (33.14%). B&M described itself as a professional service firm that specialised in strategic corporate consultancy, advisory and management services. “ We are a trusted adviser to our clients, which comprise both domestic and multinational corporations in the public and private sectors, with offices in Malaysia and other jurisdictions. We combine our rich local knowledge with an innovative global mindset to assist our clients in establishing and driving their business and investment strategies in Malaysia and globally, with a view to promoting Malaysia as a strategic investment hub in the region.”
Documents from the Hong Kong Companies Registry show that on July 9, Low signed two documents to change both firms’ company secretary from B & Mck Nominees to KV Pro Services in Mong Kok.
B & Mck is a subsidiary of US law firm Baker McKenzie. A spokesman from the law firm confirmed it had ceased to work for Low’s companies but declined to give the reason.
Mr Chia's adventures with regards 1MDB in 2025, a decade after the Sarawak Report revelation, are almost as impressive.The New Strait Times reports are provided below in full. Note how just 4 months ago Chia was being referred to as a former partner of Wong & Partners:
1MDB trial: Najib's witness missing, believed to be abroad
PUTRAJAYA: A former 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) lawyer who was set to testify for Datuk Seri Najib Razak cannot be located and is believed to be abroad, the High Court heard today.
The former prime minister's lawyer, Wan Azwan Aiman Wan Fakhruddin, said the defence failed to locate Brian Chia Hock Gee, a former senior partner at Wong & Partners, a legal firm that previously advised 1MDB.
Wan Azwan Aiman sought assistance from the prosecution to find Chia.
"Chia was initially listed as a prosecution witness. However, after the prosecution's case concluded, he was not called to testify, but was instead offered to us as a witness.
"We have tried contacting him and sought help from other lawyers to locate him, but they, too, are unaware of his whereabouts.
"We assume that he is outside the court's jurisdiction," he said before presiding judge Datuk Collin Lawrence Sequerah today.
Wan Azwan Aiman said it was the prosecution's duty to make reasonable efforts to ensure the witness could be called to testify for the defence.
The court asked the lawyer about the next course of action should the witness remain untraceable.
Wan Azwan Aiman said the defence would proceed by calling another witness to testify.
Deputy public prosecutor kamal Baharin Omar confirmed that Chia was a witness offered by the prosecution and said the prosecution would do its best to assist in locating him.
On June 26, 2021, 1MDB dropped its US$1 billion (RM4.4 billion) suit against Wong & Partners and Chia over alleged breach of contractual, statutory and common law and fiduciary duties.
The company also accused the law firm of dishonest assistance, which it claimed facilitated the misappropriation of its funds.
Najib faces four charges of using his position to obtain RM2.3 billion in bribes from 1MDB funds and 21 charges of money laundering involving the same amount.
The trial continues.
Ex-1MDB CEO insisted on PetroSaudi deal despite warnings, court hears
PUTRAJAYA: Former 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) chief executive officer Datuk Shahrol Azral Ibrahim Halmi was insistent on finalising a joint venture agreement (JVA) with PetroSaudi International Ltd (PSI), the High Court heard.
A former partner at law firm Wong & Partners, Brian Chia Hock Gee said Shahrol was pushing to ensure 1MDB could sign the agreement with PSI on Sept 28, 2009.
He said the firm had provided legal advice to the sovereign wealth fund on Sept 16, 2009, to facilitate the execution of the US$1 billion joint venture deal.
He said all matters involving fund management including dealings with Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) were handled by Shahrol and former 1MDB executive director Casey Tang Keng Chee.
"Wong & Partners had no role in the payment. We did not manage any funds or handle transactions with the banks involved," he said.
Chia, who also headed the firm's corporate and commercial securities practice, added that the firm had no involvement in the transfer of the US$1 billion for the JVA.
He said he was only informed that US$700 million had been transferred to a PSI nominee account, while the remaining US$300 million was deposited into the 1MDB-PSI joint venture account.
The witness confirmed that he had prepared a legal memorandum outlining the risks involved in entering the joint venture.
"I gave my advice, and they decided to proceed on the basis that this was a government-to-government (G2G) investment.
"It was not for me to question the arrangement... I had advised them and warned of the risks," he said.
Under the agreement, 1MDB was to inject US$1 billion in equity, while PSI would contribute assets valued at US$1.5 billion.
However, the transfer of funds was split on 1MDB's instructions, with only US$300 million transferred to the joint venture company, while US$700 million was remitted to Good Star Ltd — a company linked to fugitive businessman Low Taek Jho, or Jho Low.
Najib faces four charges of using his position to obtain RM2.3 billion in bribes from 1MDB funds, and 21 charges of money laundering involving the same amount.
The trial continues.
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