KUALA LUMPUR (June 16): Former prime minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin’s abuse of power and money-laundering case linked to the Jana Wibawa project will now be heard in the High Court.
This follows the court’s decision on Monday (June 16) to approve his application to move the case from the lower court.
Judge Datuk Muhammad Jamil Hussin believed the constitutional issues were “of extraordinary difficulty” and thought it would be faster for the High Court to handle them.
"[Muhyiddin] has met the threshold for the case to be transferred to the High Court [...]. Although I have full confidence that the Sessions Court judge has the legal knowledge and expertise to handle this case, it is more expedient for the three legal issues determined by the High Court," he said in his brief decision.
The court registrar will decide which High Court judge will handle the case and has scheduled a case management date for July 14.
The Perikatan Nasional chairman, charged earlier in 2023, faces seven charges: four for abuse of power and three for money laundering. Sessions Court judge Azura Alwi was set to oversee the trial starting in September this year.
Muhyiddin applied to transfer the case to the High Court because it involved legal issues that were "unusually complex". This is his second time asking for the transfer, after withdrawing his first request in April 2023.
On Monday, Datuk Hisyam Teh Poh Teik, representing the ex-PM, said they were not doubting the Sessions Court judge’s ability. But he pointed out that there are conflicting legal opinions on the constitutional issues that need to be clarified.
Deputy public prosecutor Datuk Wan Shaharuddin Wan Ladin, in opposing Muhyiddin's application, argued that the questions raised were speculative in nature, especially given that the trial has yet to commence. He added that the court's "valuable time" should not be wasted on such speculative issues.
The prosecution intends to appeal Monday's decision.