KUALA LUMPUR (April 15): Datuk Zarul Ahmad Mohd Zulkifli, a former director of Consortium Zenith BUCG Sdn Bhd, told the sessions court he was grateful to Lim Guan Eng for helping secure the Penang undersea tunnel project and denied holding any grudge against him.
Zarul Ahmad denied claims by Lim’s defence that he held a grudge against the former Penang chief minister and gave testimony implicating the politician out of spite.
Replying to questions from DPP Datuk Wan Shaharuddin Wan Laden in re-examination, he denied having any revengeful feelings against Lim.
“In fact, I am indebted to him as I received the project and the land (Lot 702) without submitting a complete feasibility study and detailed design on the tunnel.
“My company only submitted a feasibility study and detailed design (FSDD) over the three proposed roads and not the tunnel, and in return we got Lot 702 and 713 when submitting the request for proposal. Hence, I am indebted to Lim,” he said.
Zarul Ahmad added that the FSDD for the tunnel is still not completed.
On Monday, it was revealed that Lot 702 was held in booking for late businessman Datuk Ewe Swee Kheng and the luxurious City of Dreams twin tower project.
Ewe passed away in 2021, and his recorded statement to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission was used in the trial.
Wan Shaharuddin: Who assisted you to receive the benefit ?
Zarul Ahmad: Lim Guan Eng.
Yesterday, the witness testified that Ewe paid RM12 million in 2013 to “book” Lot 702, just before the project was awarded to his company. In total, Zarul Ahmad’s company received RM130 million for the project.
Zarul said his company had a distinct advantage during the Request for Proposal (RFP) stage because it was the only one aware of a fourth part of the project — a back road from Tanjung Bungah to Teluk Bahang — which other bidders did not know about.
He added that during a project briefing, his firm gained another edge, as Lim Guan Eng had earlier promised to award them the project through direct negotiation. When it later shifted to an open tender, Lim allegedly assured Zarul that his company would still win the contract.
The trial will continue on May 14 before Sessions Judge Azura Alwi. Lim’s lawyers, Haijan Omar and RSN Rayer, informed the court that Lim plans to request the return of his passport next month for a trip to China.
Judge Azura instructed them to submit a formal application for the request.
Proceedings were cut short on Tuesday to allow Lim to pay his last respects to former Prime Minister Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi who passed away yesterday evening.
Lim, who is Bagan MP and Ayer Putih assemblyman, is on trial for using his position as the then-Penang chief minister to solicit a 10% cut in the RM6.3 billion undersea tunnel project’s profits from Zarul Ahmad, in return for aiding his company to secure the project.
The 64-year-old former finance minister is also accused of accepting RM3.3 million in kickbacks. A purported RM2 million paid on Aug 18, 2017, via businessman G Gnanaraja, is said to be part of the RM3.3 million.
DAP advisor Lim also faces two counts of dishonest misappropriation of property in releasing two plots of state-owned land, cumulatively worth RM208.75 million, to Ewein Zenith Sdn Bhd and Zenith Urban Development — two property companies linked to the controversial undersea tunnel project.