The 4 billion ringgit was disbursed by 1MDB unit SRC International and used around the world, Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng said.
“The government through SRC is in the midst of pursuing civil action toward that purpose and will work with the relevant authorities to track the money,” he said in a statement.
BSI Bank in Switzerland, Bank Julius Baer & Co Ltd in Hong Kong and a Mongolian coal exploration company are among the firms that received the funds from SRC, Lim said.
The 4 billion ringgit disbursed by SRC was borrowed from Malaysia’s retirement fund, Kumpulan Wang Persaraan, and any recovered monies will be returned to the fund, Lim said.
The finance ministry took over SRC from 1MDB in 2012.
Former Prime Minister Najib Razak has been charged with 42 criminal offences related to losses at 1MDB and other state entities. He has consistently denied wrongdoing.
Prosecutors last week wrapped up their case in the first trial against Najib, in which he is accused of illegally receiving US$10 million from SRC.
Najib has pleaded not guilty to all the charges.
