KUALA LUMPUR (May 20): The Ministry of Finance (MOF) had given the Public Works Department (JKR) a list of proposed contractors for construction projects under the Jana Wibawa programme back in December 2020, the Sessions Court heard on Monday.

Datuk Zulkipeli Yamat, former senior director at JKR’s Contract and Material Measurement division, said this in the ongoing trial of former Bersatu information chief Datuk Wan Saiful Wan Jan's corruption and money-laundering trial.

He said that there was a coordination meeting for the implementation of the Jana Wibawa programme on Dec 8, 2020. It was chaired by the then Treasury secretary general.

"[Former] Public Works Department director general Datuk Seri Zulkefly Sulaiman represented JKR. From that meeting onwards, JKR started receiving instructions from the MOF through a 'Letter of Proposal for the Appointment of Contractors' for each construction project under the Jana Wibawa programme," the prosecution's seventh witness testified.

The 60 year-old said that part of his responsibility in his role as senior director was to coordinate procurement projects under the supervision of his division.

Wan Saiful was charged under Section 16(a)(A) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act 2009 with soliciting bribes to help Nepturis Sdn Bhd secure a Central Spine Road project from the federal government through pre-qualification in April 2022.

On the second charge, the Tasek Gelugor member of Parliament (MP) is charged under Section 17(a) of the MACC Act with receiving RM6.96 million through his company’s account from Nepturis, as an inducement to help Nepturis secure a letter of award for the same project.

The offences were allegedly committed between July 8 and Sept 30 in 2022. 

Both charges under the MACC Act are punishable under Section 24 of the Act, and carry a sentence of up to 20 years in jail and a fine of not less than five times the amount of the bribe or RM10,000, whichever is higher, upon conviction.

Previously, other witnesses have testified that there were two ways that the projects under this scheme could be awarded — via direct negotiation or pre-qualified open tender.

Some witnesses also testified that the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) was the authority that selected the contractors and the projects to be implemented, with a committee within MOF tasked with evaluating a list of contractors deemed to have qualified for the programme. 

There has also been testimony that the programme, established to assist Bumiputera contractors impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic during former prime minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin's stewardship, could only take off following Cabinet approval back in November 2020.

Zulkipeli is still in the midst of testifying and is expected to take the stand again on Tuesday when the trial continues.

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