Lawyer Amer Hamzah Arshad suggested businessman Azman Yusoff's account that he was shown a list of Jana Wibawa projects in July 2020 was fabricated.
Amer Hamzah Arshad referred KCJ Engineering Sdn Bhd managing director Azman Yusoff to his witness statement, in which he claimed Muhyiddin’s deputy private secretary, Asmar Asmadi Abdullah Sani, had shown him a list of 10 government-approved Jana Wibawa projects.
Azman said the meeting at the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) in Parliament took place several days after a private meeting with Muhyiddin at Tropicana Golf Club Damansara in mid-July 2020.
He claimed Muhyiddin had told him about Jana Wibawa during that meeting and directed him to meet Asmar for further details.
Amer, however, suggested that Azman’s account of the list was fabricated, pointing out that then finance minister Tengku Zafrul Aziz had only proposed the term “Jana Wibawa” in a letter to Muhyiddin on July 23, 2020.
Amer: If you look at the letter, Tengku Zafrul proposed the term Jana Wibawa to Tan Sri (Muhyiddin) on July 23, 2020. Did you know that?
Azman: I didn’t know that.
Amer: After that, Tan Sri minuted the letter on Aug 3, 2020, saying he agreed with Tengku Zafrul’s proposal and began using the term from that day. Do you agree?
Azman: I don’t agree.
Azman maintained that Muhyiddin had mentioned Jana Wibawa verbally during their private meeting at the golf club.
Amer then suggested that the allegation was something the prosecution had directed Azman to say.
When asked if he had any proof that Muhyiddin had used the term Jana Wibawa before July 23, Azman said he did not.
In his witness statement, Azman also claimed that in September 2020, he submitted a letter to Muhyiddin seeking support for a road construction project linking Felda Bukit Jalor to Gemas, Negeri Sembilan, through direct tender.
He said he handed the letter to Asmar at the PMO.
KCJ Engineering subsequently secured the RM62 million Jana Wibawa project on July 30, 2021.
Amer questioned how the letter ended up at the finance ministry when it had not been minuted by Muhyiddin.
Amer: There is not an iota of evidence to show Tan Sri supported this letter?
Azman: I am not sure.
Amer: Do you agree that there is not even an acknowledgement of receipt from Asmar, the PMO, or the finance ministry?
Azman: I agree.
Amer also argued that Asmar could not have had a list of Jana Wibawa projects in July, before Muhyiddin minuted Tengku Zafrul’s letter on Aug 3.
Azman disagreed, but agreed that only Asmar could confirm whether such a list existed. Asmar is not listed as a prosecution witness.
Amer further challenged the timing of Azman’s meeting with Asmar, arguing that it could not have taken place before Muhyiddin began using the term Jana Wibawa following Tengku Zafrul’s proposal on Aug 3.
Azman disagreed.
Muhyiddin, 79, faces four charges of abusing his position to solicit RM225.3 million in bribes for Bersatu from Bukhary Equity Sdn Bhd, Nepturis Sdn Bhd, Mamfor Sdn Bhd, Azman and KCJ Engineering.
He also faces three money laundering charges involving RM200 million allegedly received from Bukhary Equity and deposited into Bersatu’s accounts at AmBank and CIMB Bank.
He is alleged to have committed the offences between March 1, 2020 and July 8, 2022.
The trial before High Court judge Noor Ruwena Nurdin continues on Sept 14. - FMT
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