Contractor: Muhyiddin’s Bersatu donation request wasn’t my imagination, I didn’t report it fearing abetment accusations

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 3 — Bumiputera Contractors Association of Malaysia (PKBM) president Datuk Seri Azman Yusoff today insisted that former prime minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin told him in July 2020 that Bumiputera contractors who received Jana Wibawa projects could donate directly to the latter’s party, Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia.

Azman, who was testifying as the 27th prosecution witness in Muhyiddin’s power abuse trial, confirmed his previous testimony that he viewed Muhyiddin’s donation request as an offence.

Quizzed by Muhyiddin’s lawyer Datuk Amer Hamzah Arshad, Azman confirmed that he had never lodged a police report against Muhyiddin over the donation request and disagreed that he had imagined the request.

Amer: I’m telling you the reason why you didn’t make the complaint is because the so-called request is nothing more than a figment of your imagination.

Azman: Disagree.

Later, when asked by lead prosecutor Datuk Wan Shaharuddin Wan Ladin, Azman initially insisted that Muhyiddin had made the request, adding that he did not lodge a report as he “akur” or complied with Muhyiddin’s request.

But after a short break, Azman told the High Court judge that he wanted to correct his answer as he had remembered why he did not lodge a police report against Muhyiddin.

“I did not lodge a report because I don’t want to be accused of ‘bersubahat’ (abetting) Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin,” he said.

Among other things, Azman earlier today confirmed that Muhyiddin did not contact him in 2021 or 2022 to ask about any donations from contractors to Bersatu.

Amer then suggested that this meant the July 2020 discussion between Azman and Muhyiddin was merely a “creation” by the contractor so that he could “point the finger” at the former prime minister.

But Azman disagreed.

Earlier, Azman had said that Tan Sri Muhyiddin Charity Golf (TSMCG) committee member and Bersatu leader Adam Radlan Adam Muhammad was closer to Muhyiddin than he was.

But Azman disagreed with Amer’s suggestion that this meant Muhyiddin would not have asked him to tell other contractors to donate to Bersatu, and also disagreed that Muhyiddin would have asked someone close to him instead.

Former Prime Minister, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin is pictured at the Kuala Lumpur High Court Complex. — File picture by Firdaus Latif

Azman denies making deal with MACC in own corruption case, insists he’s innocent

Separately, the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) had previously investigated Azman in 2023 over allegations that he had asked for and received bribes from contractors as a reward for helping them obtain Jana Wibawa projects.

Azman confirmed that the complaint that prompted MACC’s investigation mentioned his name but not Muhyiddin’s.

Azman confirmed to Amer that he had faced financial constraints when his accounts were frozen for nine months and agreed that the operations of his company KCJ Engineering Sdn Bhd and related company Addeen Engineering Sdn Bhd were disrupted during that period.

Azman agreed that he was under economic pressure in 2023 because of these events, but disagreed with Amer that this had caused him to “play ball” with MACC or that the commission had him “in their grip”.

Amer went on to suggest that Azman’s court testimony against Muhyiddin had been modified to fit MACC’s narrative and that he had tailored his testimony because he was under economic duress and pressure in 2023.

Azman disagreed.

Azman also disagreed with Amer’s suggestion that he had made a deal with MACC to testify against Muhyiddin and avoid being prosecuted, as his company KCJ Engineering would stand to lose its RM62 million Jana Wibawa contract if he were found guilty in court.

Lead prosecutor Datuk Wan Shaharuddin Wan Ladin (pictured) questioned Azman Yusoff over why he did not lodge a police report against Muhyiddin. — File picture by Firdaus Latif

Later, when asked about the complaint that led to MACC’s 2023 investigation against him, Azman told the prosecution that the complaint was a “defamation” against him.

“That is a ‘fitnah’ (defamation) against me. I come to court to speak the truth, and I don’t care whether Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin wins or loses in this case. What is important, I am in court to speak the truth and I have already taken the oath,” he told Wan Shaharuddin.

Azman confirmed that he had not been remanded or charged in his own corruption case, but insisted that he had not committed any wrongdoing and claimed he was innocent.

Azman argued that bribery cases involved those with power, such as the prime minister, while saying that he himself did not have the power to award projects and that he had told contractors to donate to Bersatu if they obtained the projects.

Later, when explaining why he did not think the millions of ringgit received by his associated companies were bribes, Azman said he did not have the power to award projects, appoint contractors or receive donations, and also insisted that those in power would use their positions to ask for bribes.

Azman previously confirmed that his associated companies KCJ Engineering and Addeen Engineering received a total of RM9.35 million from several contractors, including RM1 million from Nepturis Sdn Bhd and RM600,000 from Mamfor Sdn Bhd.

Earlier, Azman insisted to Amer that the money he had received from those contractors was from “business deals” between companies and claimed that the payments were for technical advice he had provided on material costs for projects.

When clarifying why he had previously denied “selling” Muhyiddin’s name to obtain money from Bumiputera contractors Nepturis and Mamfor, Azman told the prosecution that he was “tidaklah sejahat” (not as evil) as to sell Muhyiddin’s name and added that he was indebted to the latter for his actions during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Azman concluded his testimony after confirming to the judge that he remains an Umno member.

Yesterday, MACC investigator Mazery Mohd Zaini said three Bumiputera contractors and their representatives had given RM25.3 million to Bersatu after obtaining Jana Wibawa projects, namely Azman and KCJ Engineering, which gave RM4.8 million; Nepturis, which gave RM1 million; and Mamfor, which gave RM19.5 million after its associated company Sutracom Sdn Bhd obtained a project.

In this trial, Muhyiddin is facing seven charges, comprising four counts of alleged power abuse to obtain RM225.3 million in bribes for his party, Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia, from Nepturis Sdn Bhd, Datuk Seri Azman Yusoff, KCJ Engineering Sdn Bhd, Bukhary Equity Sdn Bhd and Mamfor Sdn Bhd, and three counts of alleged money laundering involving money that Bersatu received from Bukhary Equity.

The trial before High Court judge Noor Ruwena Md Nurdin is scheduled to resume on September 14.