Sayed Muzzakkir case: Witness denies changing 'advisory fee' to 'commission' to bring case under MACC Act

 

KUALA LUMPUR: A witness denies that changing the term "advisory fee" to "commission" in a "project advisory agreement", according to his witness statement, was to enable the case involving Sayed Amir Muzzakkir Al Sayed Mohamad to fall under the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act.

Nexuscorpgroup Sdn Bhd (NSB) managing director Wan Azhar Mohamed Yusof, 51, said this at the Sessions Court here when questioned by lawyer Datuk Yaacob Md Sam, who is representing Sayed Amir, a former political secretary to former home minister Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin, who is facing three corruption charges involving RM350,000.

Yaacob: I put it to you that you (Wan Azhar) changed the term "advisory fee" to "commission" in the "project advisory agreement" to enable the case to be defined under Section 3 of the MACC Act. Do you agree or not?

Wan Azhar: I do not agree.

In his witness statement, Wan Azhar confirmed that the "project advisory agreement" was made as a 5% commission agreement based on the value of the project requested by Sayed Amir and Datuk Seri Mohd Khairi Mat Jahya (managing director of Al Khairi Group Berhad) to help NSB secure the tender for the maintenance services and supply of spare parts for infrastructure equipment, servers, software and user radios for the RMPNet system for the police.

Yaacob: As a long-standing and veteran businessman who has entered into many contracts, have you ever heard that there is a provision under the Evidence Act prohibiting parties from changing words stated in an agreed agreement?

Wan Azhar: Maybe.

Yaacob: I put it to you that you are trying to change these terms to give "advisory fee" a different character by changing it to the word "commission".

Wan Azhar: I do not agree.

The 17th prosecution witness also said that he was unaware that "advisory fee" and "commission" were included in the definition of gratification or under Section 3 of the MACC Act.

On May 23, 2024, Sayed Amir, 43, was charged with two counts of receiving RM350,000 in bribes from Wan Azhar as an inducement to help Nexuscorpgroup secure the RMPNet tender for the police, worth more than RM381.1mil, at the Yayasan Tanah Aku office in Solaris Dutamas here, at 4pm on Dec 4, 2020 and 3.30pm on Dec 16, 2020, respectively.

Sayed Amir was also charged with soliciting RM350,000 from the same individual for the same purpose at the Nexuscorpgroup Sdn Bhd office in Shah Alam in early December 2020.

The charges were framed under Section 16(a)(A) of the MACC Act 2009, which carries a maximum jail term of 20 years and a fine of not less than five times the value of the gratification or RM10,000, whichever is higher, upon conviction.

The trial before Judge Rosli Ahmad resumes on Oct 7. – Bernama

Woman alleges rape after forced to inhale vape

 Police are tracking down a suspect to assist in their investigation.

Brickfields police chief Hoo Chang Hook said the victim claimed the suspect forced her to inhale a vape before she lost consciousness. (Envato Elements pic)

PETALING JAYA:

An 18-year-old woman alleged she was raped after she lost consciousness when she inhaled a vape given by a man last week.

The incident is believed to have occurred at a residence in Petaling at about 5am last Saturday, reported Harian Metro.

Brickfields police chief Hoo Chang Hook said the victim claimed the suspect forced her to inhale a vape before she lost consciousness.

“She regained consciousness at about 7am and found that she was naked. She also experienced pain in her genital area and suspected that she was raped by the suspect,” he said.

Hoo said police were tracking down the suspect to assist in the rape investigation under Section 376 of the Penal Code. - FMT

SAM president denied entry into Sarawak, group demands answers

 Sahabat Alam Malaysia says Meenakshi Raman was given no prior notice or explanation for the restriction.

Sahabat Alam Malaysia president Meenakshi Raman’s flight apparently landed at Miri Airport at 4.50pm but she was stopped by immigration officers and refused entry. (Bernama pic)

PETALING JAYA:

Sahabat Alam Malaysia (SAM) president Meenakshi Raman was denied entry into Sarawak after arriving at Miri Airport today and the environmental group is now demanding an explanation from the state government and immigration authorities.

SAM honorary secretary Mageswari Sangaralingam said Meenakshi arrived on a 2.40pm flight, which landed at about 4.50pm, but she was stopped by immigration officers and refused entry.

She said Meenakshi’s identity card was taken and she was asked whether she was involved in any case.

“Approximately 15 minutes later, immigration officers informed her that a report had been lodged against her on May 21, 2025,” Mageswari said in a statement.

Mageswari said Meenakshi was asked whether she had received any letter from the Sarawak authorities, which she had not.

Mageswari said there was no prior notice, explanation or indication that she was barred from entering the state.

She described the incident as an unacceptable and deeply troubling exercise of state power, noting that Meenakshi was allowed to enter Sarawak as recently as 2024.

SAM is demanding that the Sarawak government and relevant immigration authorities state the reason for barring Meenakshi from entering the state and disclose the nature, source and basis for the restriction.

The group also wants the authorities to explain why Meenakshi was not notified in advance and to lift the restriction imposed against her immediately.

Mageswari warned that barring environmental and human rights defenders from parts of the country raised concerns over democratic accountability, civic space and the right to speak out on environmental destruction and affected communities’ rights.

“Activists must be able to undertake legitimate public interest work without any intimidation or harassment,” she said. - FMT

Anwar orders agencies to step up action against profiteering

 The prime minister issued the directive at the National Cost of Living Action Council's second meeting of the year today.

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim chairing the National Cost of Living Action Council’s second meeting of the year in Putrajaya today. (PMO pic)

KUALA LUMPUR:

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has called for stronger coordination among agencies to ensure more effective enforcement to control the prices of essential goods and curb profiteering nationwide.

Anwar issued the directive at the National Cost of Living Action Council’s second meeting of the year, which he chaired today.

He said the meeting focussed on proposed initiatives and immediate measures to ease the people’s cost-of-living burden under the 2027 budget.

“I also reviewed the progress of enforcement by the domestic trade and cost of living ministry to control the prices of essential goods and curb profiteering nationwide,” he said in a Facebook post.

Anwar said the government would continue to monitor global geopolitical developments and their impact on the price and supply of essential goods to ensure inflationary pressures could be addressed promptly and effectively. -  FMT

Budget 2027 on the horizon: What Malaysia’s upcoming budget and numbers say about the economy

 

EVERY government Budget carries a question from the people: how will this help with the cost of living?

Budget 2027, to be tabled on Oct 9, arrives with that question more pointed than usual, following a year marked by geopolitical tensions, volatile global oil prices and tighter subsidy reforms at home.

For markets, however, Budget Day is only the beginning. Parliament’s schedule spans 37 sitting days through Dec 8, with policy and committee debates continuing through October and November.

For investors, this creates a period in which details announced in the Budget will be scrutinised and translated into market expectations.

Malaysia enters this cycle with relatively strong economic momentum. The economy grew 6% in the second quarter of 2026, bringing first-half growth to 5.7%, supported by domestic demand, investment and exports.

Market consensus currently puts Budget 2027’s total expenditure at around RM438.9 bil, comprising approximately RM353.1 bil in operating expenditure and RM85.8 bil in development expenditure.

The estimated development allocation is broadly aligned with the 13th Malaysia Plan, which provides for average annual development expenditure of about RM86 bil from 2026 to 2030.

Attention will also turn to the government’s fiscal consolidation path, with analysts expecting the fiscal deficit to narrow towards about 3.3% of GDP in 2027, from an estimated 3.5% in 2026.

The Finance Ministry’s Pre-Budget Statement has already outlined the broad challenges facing the government. The prolonged conflict in West Asia pushed crude oil prices above US$100 a barrel, creating additional pressure on fuel subsidies and the wider fiscal position.

The government expects targeted subsidy reforms to generate about RM15.5 bil in annual savings, although higher global energy prices could complicate those calculations. Fuel subsidies could reach RM40 bil this year amid elevated oil prices.

At the same time, Malaysia’s growth story continues to be supported by high-value investments in areas including semiconductors, artificial intelligence, data centres, digital services and energy.

Approved investments reached a record RM431.1 bil in 2025, reflecting continued investment momentum.

What to watch: Key policy variables

Beyond the headline spending figure, two policy areas could have significant implications for markets.

Subsidies and fiscal discipline: Energy costs and domestic subsidies remain closely watched. Effective Sept 1, the basic monthly BUDI95 quota was restored to 300 litres at RM1.99 per litre, benefiting more than 16 million users.

The move provides additional support to households while leaving the government to balance cost-of-living concerns against fiscal discipline.

Taxation and revenue: The market is generally not expecting major new taxes, with attention instead focused on the optimisation of existing revenue measures, including SST and the Capital Gains Tax on unlisted shares.

The mandatory e-Invoicing threshold was also raised from RM1 mil to RM3 mil in annual revenue or sales from Sept 1, providing relief to smaller businesses. Meanwhile, the proposed carbon tax remains an area to watch, particularly for the iron, steel and energy sectors.

Sectors to Watch

Budget allocations are likely to affect sectors differently depending on where spending and policy support are directed.

Construction and building materials could benefit from development expenditure, particularly through projects involving hospitals, schools and transport infrastructure.

Grid and water infrastructure, renewable energy and energy storage could also gain from continued investment in strategic infrastructure.

Semiconductors and AI-related companies remain linked to Malaysia’s broader push into digital industrialisation, data centres and implementation of the National AI Action Plan.

(Image: Bernama)

Targeted cash assistance such as BUDI95 could also help support household purchasing power, potentially benefiting value-oriented and affordable consumer segments.

On the other hand, steel and high-carbon energy producers could face additional compliance costs if the proposed carbon-tax framework proceeds.

Discretionary consumer companies may also face pressure if the SST framework is expanded or adjusted, particularly if higher costs weigh on household spending.

Tobacco and alcohol companies could remain sensitive to expectations surrounding potential excise-duty changes ahead of the Budget.

For investors, the key takeaway is that Budget Day is unlikely to be defined by the headline allocation alone. The details of how funds are allocated, how subsidies evolve and how quickly projects are implemented will matter just as much.

The broader question is whether Malaysia can translate its strong investment pipeline and economic momentum into sustainable productivity, higher-value activity and resilient household incomes.

For investors, that means looking beyond the initial Budget reaction and watching where the money ultimately goes. ‒  Focus Malaysia