Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has confirmed his acquaintance with controversial businessman Mohamad Riza Chalid, who is reportedly being sought by Indonesian authorities in connection with a corruption investigation into the management of crude oil imports and refinery products at state-owned energy company PT Pertamina.

"I know him well," Anwar said during a media conference being held by the Malaysia-Indonesia Journalists Solidarity Association (ISWAMI) in Jakarta on Tuesday, July 29, 2025.

The Prime Minister’s comment comes amid growing speculation over whether the Indonesian government may request Malaysia’s assistance in locating and extraditing Riza Chalid for questioning related to the high-profile graft case.

Anwar revealed that Malaysia has received a formal notice from Indonesia through diplomatic channels regarding the matter. However, he stressed that any request must go through proper legal procedures between the two countries.

"There’s no problem with legal processes, in my view," he added.

Neither the Indonesian Attorney General’s Office (AGO) nor the Malaysian authorities have officially confirmed any formal extradition request to date.

The AGO says that it will investigate reports that fugitive oil trader and graft suspect Mohammad Riza Chalid has married a member of a Malaysian royal family in an alleged attempt to shield himself from prosecution.

AGO spokesman Anang Supriatna said that while investigators have yet to confirm the report, it will be treated as an important lead. “So far, we don’t have any concrete information. But every credible tip will be followed up and evaluated by the investigative team,” Anang told reporters on Monday, July 28, 2025.

The AGO recently named Riza a suspect in a massive oil corruption case involving PT Pertamina Group and its dealings with Oil contractors (KKKS) between 2018 and 2023.

Riza is believed to have acted as the ultimate beneficiary of two companies, PT Navigator Khatulistiwa and PT Orbit Terminal Merak, which were central to the graft allegations.