KUALA LUMPUR (Aug 22): In a heated exchange at court on Monday (Aug 22), Umno president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi sarcastically said he wished a deputy public prosecutor (DPP) in his trial would one day become a minister, so that he may better understand the inner workings of a ministry.
When the DPP replied that he did not aspire to be one, Zahid remarked that he was “not qualified” to become a minister anyway.
The remarks were exchanged during Zahid’s corruption trial, where he was questioned on how Profound Radiance Sdn Bhd had been appointed to manage the one-stop centre (OSC) work permit processing system for Pakistani and Nepali workers.
Zahid said the decision was made by officials at the Home Ministry, where he was then minister.
He also said that then prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak had given instructions for the contract award.
A document was shown to him in court by DPP Malik Ayob during his cross-examination which bore Zahid’s signature as approval for the contract award to Profound Radiance.
Zahid replied that while he had signed the document, awarding the contract to the company was not up to him alone.
Malik: Who appointed Profound Radiance to manage the OSC?
Zahid: I hope this DPP will one day become a minister to better understand the workings of a ministry.
Malik: I don’t intend to become one.
Zahid: Of course, you are not qualified.
Trial judge Datuk Collin Lawrence Sequerah interjected and asked Zahid to answer the question.
Zahid then said the contract was given to the company based on recommendations.
Businessman Azlan Shah Jeffril had allegedly given Zahid RM2 million for the OSC contract.
Azlan, who had previously testified in the trial, said he handed over three cheques to Zahid between 2017 and 2018 during three visits to the former minister.
Azlan said that in late 2015 and 2016, his company was awarded contracts to start OSC operations for visa processing in Nepal and Pakistan.
He said the money he gave Zahid could not be bribes for the contract as he already acquired the contract in 2016, and the cheques were given to Zahid between 2017 and 2018.
“There was no cheques given to Zahid before the OSC was given to us to manage in Pakistan and Nepal. I gave this money as a form of donation one-and-a-half years after I got the contract. I don’t agree with the charges implying that I bribed,” Azlan said.
Zahid: Sincere people like me are accused, while others who 'songlap' money are free
Still on the cross-examination about Profound Radiance, Zahid said that sincere people like him are being charged when he used the Profound Radiance money for charity purposes and did not deposit it into his own account.
When asked about money he received and whether he had given it to his Umno and Barisan Nasional parties as the money were for political purposes, Zahid said that political donation cheques need not be given to the parties directly because they have their own constituencies to handle and use said funds.
Azlan had previously testified that he made the cheques out to law firm Lewis & Co and stated that in the cheque butts for each of the two cheques amounting to RM700,000 and RM300,000 respectively, he wrote that they were for the purposes of “charity” while in respect of the other cheque for the sum of RM1 million, he wrote “Political fund to TPM”.
“The RM1 million political donation cheque I wrote was to help the government of the day as it was nearing election season at that time,” he said, explaining that he wrote that cheque on Jan 3, 2018, just a day before meeting Zahid briefly at a Home Ministry-organised event in Putrajaya.
In court on Monday before Sequerah, Zahid said Azlan’s testimony should absolve Zahid, and also said things like this are done by politicians in Malaysia, be they from the government or the opposition.
Zahid then quipped that he should not have been charged with corruption and claimed that there are others who “songlap” (swindled) money, but he is being charged for using the money for charitable purposes.
“If I am a perasuah (corrupt), the donation will be made out to me personally. It was made out to Yayasan Akalbudi. Sincere persons like me are accused, those who 'songlap' money are not accused, safe. This should not happen to me,” he said.
Zahid, who is also the member of Parliament for Bagan Datuk, is facing 47 charges — 12 for criminal breach of trust, eight for bribery and 27 for money laundering — involving millions of ringgit belonging to a foundation, Yayasan Akalbudi.