KUALA LUMPUR (Aug 19): A Ministry of Finance (MOF) official told the High Court on Wednesday that there was direct involvement by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) prior to the official evaluation process for projects under the Jana Ekonomi Pemerkasaan Kontraktor Bumiputera Berwibawa (Jana Wibawa) programme.

Datuk Zamzuri Abdul Aziz — who previously served as secretary of the MOF’s Government Procurement Division from 2018 until Feb 28, 2022, and is currently deputy secretary general of Treasury (Policy) at the MOF — testified on Wednesday that the PMO had provided the list of contractors to be evaluated before any formal procurement assessments were conducted.

Upon re-examination by deputy public prosecutor (DPP) Datuk Wan Shaharuddin Wan Ladin regarding contractor selection procedures and the initial timeline, Zamzuri confirmed the nature of the PMO's involvement.

Wan Shaharuddin: Now, earlier you spoke about the evaluation process. I want to ask about the involvement of the PMO in these three projects. Was there an involvement by the PMO in the selection of these three construction firms, namely, KCJ Engineering, Nepturis and Sutracom?

Zamzuri: The list came to the BPK (Government Procurement Division) through...

Wan Shaharuddin: Was there involvement?

Zamzuri: Yes.

When asked how he knew about the list of 54 companies, Zamzuri referred to an official letter signed by then-prime minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, confirming that the list had originated directly from the prime minister.

The court also examined minutes detailing instructions on the applications. Clarifying the distinction between different administrative directives, Zamzuri testified that there is a functional difference between "considering" (sila pertimbangkan) an application and "taking action" (mengambil tindakan), noting that taking action falls within the formal evaluation process.

According to his written witness statement, Zamzuri outlined the regulatory framework for government procurement and the handling of directives received by the MOF.

He detailed how instructions received from the PMO were minuted down to the technical evaluation committee to assess contractors on financial capability, CIDB ratings and technical track records.

During proceedings, High Court judge Noor Ruwena Md Nurdin sought clarification on Exhibit P148 regarding a minute from the finance minister stating "Sila angkat fail".

Noor Ruwena: Datuk, look at P148. This is the minute by the MK (Minister of Finance) to you at the time. “Sila angkat fail”. What does that mean?

Zamzuri: It means we raise the recommendation for the consideration of the minister.

The judge further inquired about Lampiran C (Attachment C) under document P229, which outlines guidelines on the involvement of administrative members in government procurement matters.

Reading from the document, Zamzuri confirmed that Lampiran C imposed restrictions on direct political involvement, including prohibiting administrative members from appointing representatives to evaluation committees or receiving preliminary briefings on evaluation results before decisions are finalised. He confirmed to the court that the guidelines were a proposal at the material time.

The court was informed that prosecution matters regarding Bukhary Equity and related money laundering charges would be led by DPP Datuk Ahmad Akram Gharib, who will attend on Friday.

The judge cautioned the prosecution that she intends to close its case by Sept 14, following testimony from upcoming witnesses.

The High Court has reserved dates in November for oral submissions once all witness testimonies are completed by September.

In this trial, Muhyiddin, 79, faces seven charges — four counts of abuse of power involving RM225.3 million in alleged gratification, and three counts of money laundering involving RM200 million. He is accused of receiving bribes from one Datuk Azman Yusoff and three companies — including Nepturis and Mamfor Sdn Bhd — allegedly for the benefit of his political party, Bersatu.

The trial continues before Noor Ruwena on Thursday.