A prosecution witness in the ongoing corruption trial against former prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin testified that he had sought assistance from former Segambut Bersatu deputy chief Adam Radlan Adam Muhammad to secure a Jana Wibawa project.
Lian Tan Chuan, the founder of bumiputera company Nepturis Sdn Bhd, told the Kuala Lumpur High Court today that he was introduced to Adam by Azman Yusoff, the managing director of construction company KCJ Engineering Sdn Bhd.
Azman is also the president of the Bumiputera Contractors’ Association of Malaysia.
“According to Azman, companies wishing to apply for projects under the Jana Wibawa programme needed to secure the prime minister’s backing, which was Muhyiddin at that time.
“Azman told me about Adam, stating that the latter was a close friend of Muhyiddin and could assist in securing projects under the programme.
“He added that Adam frequently played golf with Muhyiddin, which convinced me that he could help me secure a project,” said Lian, the 21st prosecution witness.
The meeting with Adam took place in December 2020 at a restaurant in Publika, where the witness learned about the Klang Utara police headquarters construction project listed under Jana Wibawa.
He said Adam then told him to prepare a letter of intent and a company profile to be given to Muhyiddin for Nepturis to apply for the project through the pre-qualification procurement process.
Lian said he then did the needful and reverted to Adam with the required documents, adding that he was informed by the Bersatu leader a few days later that Muhyiddin had minuted his support for the application.
“Following this, I believed my company had a great chance to get the project because usually, when the application letter is supported by the prime minister, ministries and other government agencies will process it accordingly,” he testified.
Adam was charged in 2023 with soliciting and accepting bribes for projects tied to the Jana Wibawa programme.
He was subsequently discharged and acquitted last year after paying a RM4.1 million compound.
‘No project, no donation’
After securing Muhyiddin’s backing, Lian told the court that he updated Azman about the “success” when he was asked by the latter to make a RM1 million donation to Bersatu if he was awarded the project.
Apart from that, Lian added, Azman also suggested that his company, KCJ Engineering, be appointed as Nepturis’ consultant for the project, to which the witness agreed to both suggestions.
Lian’s company then bagged the project on Jan 12, 2022, after receiving the letter of acceptance from the Public Works Department for the RM141 million project.
The witness then asked Nepturis managing director Rizman Akum Khan to prepare a RM1 million cheque for Bersatu on Feb 16, 2022.
Rizman had previously testified that he prepared the cheque on Lian’s instructions without knowing why.
“I then handed the cheque to Azman at his office on the same day for him to handle it, whether by delivering it to a Bersatu leader or depositing it into the bank.
“If Nepturis did not win the project tender, I would not have donated to Bersatu. The donation was a first for the company, (which) I made at Azman’s request,” Lian said.
The witness clarified during examination-in-chief by deputy public prosecutor Wan Shaharuddin Wan Ladin that he understood that a donation is a voluntary payment while reward is given in return for something.
“Is the so-called donation a reward, or merely a donation?” Wan Shaharuddin asked the witness, to which Lian replied: “I think it’s a reward.”
Muhyiddin is on trial for abuse of power and money laundering involving RM255.3 million.
The charges were related to Jana Wibawa, a project introduced while he was prime minister between 2020 and 2021 to accelerate project implementation and boost the country’s economy during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The trial before judge Noor Ruwena Nurdin continues tomorrow. - Mkini
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